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Cancer outcomes with chemotherapy are inferior in patients of minority racial/ethnic groups and those with obesity. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has transformed outcomes for relapsed/refractory hematologic malignancies, but whether its benefits extend commensurately to racial/ethnic minorities and patients with obesity is poorly understood. With a primary focus on patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), we retrospectively evaluated the impact of demographics and obesity on CAR T-cell therapy outcomes in adult and pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies treated with CAR T-cell therapy across 5 phase 1 clinical trials at the National Cancer Institute from 2012 to 2021. Among 139 B-ALL CAR T-cell infusions, 28.8% of patients were Hispanic, 3.6% were Black, and 29.5% were overweight/obese. No significant associations were found between race, ethnicity, or body mass index (BMI) and complete remission rates, neurotoxicity, or overall survival. Hispanic patients were more likely to experience severe cytokine release syndrome compared with White non-Hispanic patients even after adjusting for leukemia disease burden and age (odds ratio, 4.5; P = .001). A descriptive analysis of patients with multiple myeloma (n = 24) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (n = 23) displayed a similar pattern to the B-ALL cohort. Our findings suggest CAR T-cell therapy may provide substantial benefit across a range of demographics characteristics, including for those populations who are at higher risk for chemotherapy resistance and relapse. However, toxicity profiles may vary. Therefore, efforts to improve access to CAR therapy for underrepresented populations and elucidate mechanisms of differential toxicity among demographic groups should be prioritized.

Remission durability following single-antigen targeted chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells is limited by antigen modulation, which may be overcome with combinatorial targeting. Building upon our experiences targeting CD19 and CD22 in B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), we report on our phase 1 dose-escalation study of a novel murine stem cell virus (MSCV)-CD19/CD22-4-1BB bivalent CAR T-cell (CD19.22.BBζ) for children and young adults (CAYA) with B-cell malignancies. Primary objectives included toxicity and dose finding. Secondary objectives included response rates and relapse-free survival (RFS). Biologic correlatives included laboratory investigations, CAR T-cell expansion and cytokine profiling. Twenty patients, ages 5.4 to 34.6 years, with B-ALL received CD19.22.BBζ. The complete response (CR) rate was 60% (12 of 20) in the full cohort and 71.4% (10 of 14) in CAR-naïve patients. Ten (50%) developed cytokine release syndrome (CRS), with 3 (15%) having ≥ grade 3 CRS and only 1 experiencing neurotoxicity (grade 3). The 6- and 12-month RFS in those achieving CR was 80.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 42.4%-94.9%) and 57.7% (95% CI: 22.1%-81.9%), respectively. Limited CAR T-cell expansion and persistence of MSCV-CD19.22.BBζ compared with EF1α-CD22.BBζ prompted laboratory investigations comparing EF1α vs MSCV promoters, which did not reveal major differences. Limited CD22 targeting with CD19.22.BBζ, as evaluated by ex vivo cytokine secretion and leukemia eradication in humanized mice, led to development of a novel bicistronic CD19.28ζ/CD22.BBζ construct with enhanced cytokine production against CD22. With demonstrated safety and efficacy of CD19.22.BBζ in a heavily pretreated CAYA B-ALL cohort, further optimization of combinatorial antigen targeting serves to overcome identified limitations (www.clinicaltrials.gov #NCT03448393).

Chimeric antigen-receptor (CAR)-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH)-like toxicities involving hyperferritinemia, multi-organ dysfunction, coagulopathy, and/or hemophagocytosis are described as occurring in a subset of patients with cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Case series report poor outcomes for those with B-acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) who develop HLH-like toxicities, although larger outcomes analyses of children and young adults (CAYA) with B-ALL who develop these toxicities following commercial tisagenlecleucel are not described. Using a multi-institutional database of 185 CAYA with B-ALL, we conducted a retrospective cohort study including groups that developed HLH-like toxicities, high grade CRS without HLH-like toxicities, or no to low grade CRS without HLH-like toxicities. Primary objectives included characterizing the incidence, outcomes, and pre-infusion factors associated with HLH-like toxicities. Among 185 CAYA infused with tisagenlecleucel, 26 (14.1%) met criteria for HLH-like toxicities. One-year overall survival and relapse-free survival were 25.7% and 4.7% in those with HLH-like toxicities, compared with 80.1% and 57.6% in those without. In multivariable analysis for death, meeting criteria for HLH-like toxicities carried a hazard ratio of 4.61 (95% confidence interval: 2.41-8.83), controlling for disease burden, age, and sex. Patients who developed HLH-like toxicities had higher pre-tisagenlecleucel disease burden, ferritin, C-reactive protein levels, and lower platelet and absolute neutrophil counts than patients with high grade or no/low grade CRS without HLH-like toxicities. Overall, CAYA with B-ALL who developed HLH-like toxicities following tisagenlecleucel experienced high rates of relapse and non-relapse mortality, indicating the urgent need for further investigations into prevention and optimal management of patients who develop HLH-like toxicities following tisagenlecleucel.

Infections are a known complication of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy with data largely emerging from CD19 CAR T-cell targeting. As CAR T-cell therapy continues to evolve, infection risks and management thereof will become increasingly important to optimize outcomes across the spectrum of antigens and disease targeted. We retrospectively characterized infectious complications occurring in 162 children and adults treated among 5 phase 1 CAR T-cell clinical trials. Trials included targeting of CD19, CD22, disialoganglioside (GD2) or B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA). Fifty-three patients (32.7%) had 76 infections between lymphocyte depleting (LD) chemotherapy and day 30 (D30); with the majority of infections (61, 80.3%) occurring between day 0 (D0) and D30. By trial, the highest proportion of infections was seen with CD22 CAR T cells (n = 23/53; 43.4%), followed by BCMA CAR T cells (n = 9/24; 37.5%). By disease, patients with multiple myeloma had the highest proportion of infections (9/24; 37.5%) followed by acute lymphoblastic leukemia (36/102; 35.3%). Grade 4 infections were rare (n = 4; 2.5%). Between D0 and D30, bacteremia and bacterial site infections were the most common infection type. In univariate analysis, increasing prior lines of therapy, recent infection within 100 days of LD chemotherapy, corticosteroid or tocilizumab use, and fever and neutropenia were associated with a higher risk of infection. In a multivariable analysis, only prior lines of therapy and recent infection were associated with higher risk of infection. In conclusion, we provide a broad overview of infection risk within the first 30 days post infusion across a host of multiple targets and diseases, elucidating both unique characteristics and commonalities highlighting aspects important to improving patient outcomes.

The prognosis of patients with large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) that progresses after treatment with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy targeting CD19 (CAR19) is poor. We report on the first 3 consecutive patients with autologous CAR19-refractory LBCL who were treated with a single infusion of autologous 1 × 106 CAR+ T cells per kilogram targeting CD22 (CAR22) as part of a phase 1 dose-escalation study. CAR22 therapy was relatively well tolerated, without any observed nonhematologic adverse events higher than grade 2. After infusion, all 3 patients achieved complete remission, with all responses continuing at the time of last follow-up (mean, 7.8 months; range, 6-9.3). Circulating CAR22 cells demonstrated robust expansion (peak range, 85.4-350 cells per microliter), and persisted beyond 3 months in all patients with continued radiographic responses and corresponding decreases in circulating tumor DNA beyond 6 months after infusion. Further accrual at a higher dose level in this phase 1 dose-escalation study is ongoing and will explore the role of this therapy in patients in whom prior CAR T-cell therapies have failed. This trial is registered on clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT04088890.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy targeting CD19 has significantly improved outcomes in the treatment of refractory or relapsed large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL). We evaluated the long-term course of hematologic recovery, immune reconstitution, and infectious complications in 41 patients with LBCL treated with axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel) at a single center. Grade 3+ cytopenias occurred in 97.6% of patients within the first 28 days postinfusion, with most resolved by 6 months. Overall, 63.4% of patients received a red blood cell transfusion, 34.1% of patients received a platelet transfusion, 36.6% of patients received IV immunoglobulin, and 51.2% of patients received growth factor (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) injections beyond the first 28 days postinfusion. Only 40% of patients had recovered detectable CD19+ B cells by 1 year, and 50% of patients had a CD4+ T-cell count

Introduction Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy has been extremely efficacious in pediatric patients with multiply relapsed and/or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) with overall remission rates of 81% by three months post-infusion (Maude et al., N Engl J Med, 2018), and achieved FDA approval for this indication. In order for the product to meet the standards of this approval for commercial release, both the leukapheresis and manufactured products must meet a variety of specific requirements, some of which are more stringent than those in these pivotal clinical trials. The Managed Access Program (MAP) provides access to tisagenlecleucel for patients with B-ALL or diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that is out of specification (OOS) for whom repeat leukapheresis is not feasible. Patients may also receive OOS tisagenlecleucel by applying for a single-patient Investigational New Drug (IND). Previous reports have shown no difference in efficacy or toxicity between patients receiving tisagenlecleucel that meets commercial release specifications and those receiving OOS tisagenlecleucel (Grupp, et al., Blood Abstr 614, 2019; Jaglowski, et al., Blood Abstr 627, 2019). This study seeks to evaluate outcomes in pediatric and young adult patients who received tisagenlecleucel via the MAP or a single-patient IND in our Pediatric Real World CAR Consortium (PRWCC). Methods Retrospective data were abstracted from the PRWCC database of patients with relapsed/refractory B-ALL from fifteen different US institutions who received tisagenlecleucel as an FDA-approved therapy outside the context of a clinical trial. Patients whose cellular product was obtained through the MAP (NCT03601442) or with single patient IND approval due having either a cryopreserved leukapheresis product and/or manufactured tisagenlecleucel that did not meet specifications for commercial release were categorized as MAP/IND and those whose product met all release criteria were categorized as standard of care (SOC). Results Among 185 total infused patients in our database, 24 (13%) received tisagenlecleucel either via the MAP (n=14) or a single patient IND (n=10). Baseline patient and disease characteristics were not significantly different for MAP/IND patients versus the SOC cohorts (Table 1). Median duration of follow-up post-CAR T cell infusion for these infused patients was 342.5 days (range 107-780) versus 318 days (range 6-863) for the SOC cohort (p=0.43). Reasons for products being OOS included cell viability 9 months prior (n=1), and determination of residual beads >50 beads/3x106cells (n=1). Overall survival at 6- and 12-months was 96% versus 83% and 85% versus 70% for the MAP/IND versus SOC, respectively. Event-free survival at 6- and 12-months was 65% versus 63% and 55% versus 51%, respectively. Probability of continued remission at 6- and 12-months among patients who achieved a complete remission (CR) at day 28 was 79% versus 75% and 66% versus 63% for the MAP/IND versus SOC, respectively (Figure 1). Comparing toxicities between patients in the MAP/IND versus SOC cohorts, cytokine release syndrome (CRS, any grade) occurred in 46% versus 61%, CRS (>grade 3) in 17% versus 19%, immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS) in 8% versus 22%, and infectious complications in 54% vs. 37%, respectively (p=ns for all). Conclusions In our retrospective cohort evaluating the use of tisagenlecleucel to treat pediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory B-ALL in the real-world setting, neither the efficacy nor safety of tisagenlecleucel seem to be compromised by use of products OOS for commercial release. Larger studies are needed to further delineate specific cut-offs outside of which either efficacy and/or safety may truly be impacted. Disclosures Phillips: Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Stefanski:Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Margossian:Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Verneris:Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Fate Therapeutics: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Bmogen: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Uptodate: Consultancy. Myers:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: ELIANA trial Steering Committee, Speakers Bureau. Brown:Janssen: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Servier: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Jazz: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Qayed:Mesoblast: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy. Hermiston:Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sobi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Satwani:Mesoblast: Consultancy; Takeda: Consultancy. Curran:Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Celgene: Research Funding; Mesoblast: Consultancy. Mackall:Apricity Health: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company; Lyell Immunopharma: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company; BMS: Consultancy; Nektar Therapeutics: Consultancy; Allogene: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; NeoImmune Tech: Consultancy. Laetsch:Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Bayer: Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Cellectis: Consultancy.

Key Points Dasatinib potently and reversibly suppresses CAR-T cell cytotoxicity, cytokine secretion, and proliferation. Dasatinib could be repurposed as a safety switch to mitigate CAR-mediated toxicity in patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) after failure of CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy (CAR19) have a dire prognosis, with an overall response rate (ORR) of 29% to conventional salvage therapies, and a median overall survival (OS) of 6 months. CD22 is expressed on the majority of B-cell malignancies. Autologous CAR T-cells targeting CD22 (CAR22) have yielded an ORR of 70-90% in pediatric patients with R/R B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), including those who had previously failed CAR19 therapy. Based on these encouraging results, we evaluated CAR22 in adult patients with R/R LBCL, focusing on those with CAR19-refractory disease. METHODS: This ongoing single-institution phase I dose escalation clinical trial (NCT04088890) is evaluating a CAR construct incorporating the m971 CD22 single chain variable fragments and 41BB/CD3z endodomains integrated within autologous T-cells via lentiviral transduction. After lymphodepletion (LD) with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, patients are infused with cryopreserved CAR T-cells after a 7- to 11-day closed manufacturing process utilizing the CliniMACS Prodigy device (Miltenyi). Primary objectives assess the ability to successfully manufacture CAR22 and safety. Secondary objectives include efficacy and durability of responses. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients with LBCL [n=12 at dose level 1 (DL1), 1x10 6 CAR+ cells/kg; n=9 at dose level 2 (DL2), 3x10 6 CAR+ cells/kg] have been enrolled with a median age of 64 years (range, 36-79) and a median of 4 (range, 3-8) prior lines of therapy. All patients had at least one high risk feature, including failure of prior CAR19 therapy (n=20); refractory disease to second-line or later therapy (n=17); elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) pre-LD (n=17); high tumor burden (n=9); a history of primary refractory disease (n=7); failure of prior autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (n=6); never achieving CR to any therapy (n=5); or LBCL with MYC gene rearrangements (n=5). Successful manufacturing of cells was achieved in all patients. All patients reached day 28 post-infusion and are included in the safety and efficacy analysis presented here; updated results will be presented at the meeting. Every patient experienced cytokine release syndrome (CRS); 20/21 (95%) were Grade 1-2, 1/21 (5%) were Grade 3. Four patients (19%) experienced immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS); all cases were Grade 1-2 and resolved within 2 days. Five patients (24%) experienced a hyperinflammatory macrophage activation syndrome (MAS), manifested in all cases by pancytopenia and consumptive coagulopathy (DIC) requiring transfusion and/or growth factor support. One patient who received DL2 had a Grade 5 infectious event in the setting of ongoing MAS and pancytopenia. Relative to DL1, higher prevalence of Grade ≥3 cytopenias beyond D28 (89% vs. 50%) and MAS (33% vs. 17%) were observed at DL2; thus, DL1 was selected as the maximally tolerated dose (MTD). ORR at D28 was 86% (CR, n=11; PR, n=7), and was similar between DL1 and DL2 (92% vs. 78%; p=ns). 3/7 (43%) initial PR improved to CR at a median of 3 months post-infusion. All 14 patients (67% of cohort) who achieved CR remain in remission, with a mean follow-up of 7.3 months (range, 1.2-21.3); median progression free survival (PFS) and OS have not yet been reached. Five patients died from disease progression, and one patient died from septic shock in CR. CD22 expression by flow was downregulated or absent in 1/3 (33%) patients evaluated after relapse. Peak CAR-T expansion as detected by peripheral blood flow cytometry occurred at a median of 14 days, with a trend towards earlier and higher peak levels in DL2 patients. Significantly higher mean CAR-T levels occurred at peak expansion in patients who developed MAS (1070±915 vs. 196±209 CAR+ cells/μL; p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Infusion of CAR22 in R/R LBCL is safe and well tolerated at DL1. Manufacturing of CAR22 was uniformly successful. With a mean follow-up of 7.3 months, the ORR and CR rates are 18/21 (86%) and 14/21 (67%), respectively. These data demonstrate CAR22 to be an effective salvage therapy for CAR19-refractory or CD19-negative LBCL. Figure 1 Figure 1. Disclosures Frank: Allogene Therapeutics: Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding; Kite-Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Oak: Kite Pharma-Gilead: Research Funding. Arai: Magenta Therapeutics: Research Funding. Rezvani: Kaleido: Other: One-time scientific advisory board; Nohla Therapeutics: Other: One-time scientific advisory board; Pharmacyclics-Abbvie: Research Funding; US Department of Justice: Consultancy. Shiraz: Kite Pharma-Gilead: Research Funding. Sidana: Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Allogene: Research Funding; Magenta Therapeutics: Consultancy, Research Funding; BMS: Consultancy. Weng: Kite Pharma: Research Funding. Davis: Novartis Pharmaceuticals: Honoraria; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Feldman: Samsara Biocapital: Consultancy; Obsidian: Consultancy; Lonza PerMed: Consultancy; Gradalis: Consultancy. Mackall: Lyell: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Other: Founder; Syncopation Life Sciences: Consultancy, Current holder of individual stocks in a privately-held company, Other: Founder; Apricity: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Neoimmune Tech: Consultancy; Nektar: Consultancy, Research Funding. Miklos: Kite, a Gilead Company, Amgen, Atara, Wugen, Celgene, Novartis, Juno-Celgene-Bristol Myers Squibb, Allogene, Precision Bioscience, Adicet, Pharmacyclics, Janssen, Takeda, Adaptive Biotechnologies and Miltenyi Biotechnologies: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Patents & Royalties; Pharmacyclics, Amgen, Kite, a Gilead Company, Novartis, Roche, Genentech, Becton Dickinson, Isoplexis, Miltenyi, Juno-Celgene-Bristol Myers Squibb, Allogene, Precision Biosciences, Adicet, Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies, Novartis, Juno/Celgene-BMS, Kite, a Gilead Company, Pharmacyclics-AbbVie, Janssen, Pharmacyclics, AlloGene, Precision Bioscience, Miltenyi Biotech, Adicet, Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Muffly: Astellas, Jasper, Adaptive, Baxalta: Research Funding; Adaptive: Honoraria, Other: fees for non-CME/CE services: , Research Funding; Pfizer, Amgen, Jazz, Medexus, Pfizer: Consultancy. OffLabel Disclosure: CD22-directed CAR-T therapy for the treatment of adults with relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma

Background: Characterization of T-cell receptor (TCR) diversity and dynamics is increasingly critical to understanding therapeutic immune responses targeting tumors. Current TCR profiling methods generally require invasive tissue biopsies that capture a single snapshot of immune activity or are limited by the sheer diversity of the circulating TCR repertoire. In theory, T-cells with the greatest turnover could best reflect pivotal immune dynamics from both circulating and tissue-derived compartments, including non-circulating tissue-resident memory T-cells (Trm). To noninvasively capture such responses in the blood, we developed and benchmarked a high-throughput TCR profiling approach using plasma, optimized for the fragmented nature of cfDNA and the non-templated nature of rearranged TCRs. We then applied this method for residual disease monitoring in mature T-cell lymphomas (TCL) without circulating disease and for characterizing immune dynamics after anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR19) T-cell therapy of B-cell lymphomas with axicabtagene ciloleucel. Methods: We developed SABER (Sequence Affinity capture & analysis By Enumeration of cell-free Receptors) as a technique for TCR enrichment and analysis of fragmented rearrangements shed in cfDNA and applied this method using Cancer Personalized Profiling by Deep Sequencing (CAPP-Seq). We used SABER to profile a total of 381 samples (300 cfDNA and 81 PBMC samples) from 75 lymphoma patients and 18 healthy controls. After mapping sequencing reads (hg38) to identify candidate rearrangements within TCR loci, unique cfDNA fragments were resolved by a novel strategy to define consensus of unique molecular identifiers clustered by Levenshtein distances, followed by CDR3-anchoring for enumeration of final receptor clonotypes. SABER thus leverages information from fragmented TCRs, a critical requirement for cfDNA, to make V gene, CDR3, and J gene assignments after deduplication-mediated error-correction. We benchmarked SABER against established amplicon-based TCR-β targeted sequencing (LymphoTrack, Invivoscribe) and repertoire analysis methods (MiXCR; Bolotin et al, 2015 Nature Methods) when considering both cfDNA and PBMC samples from healthy adults and TCL patients. We assessed SABER performance for tracking clonal molecular disease in patients with mature TCLs from both cellular and cell-free circulating compartments (n=9). Malignant TCL clonotypes were identified in tumor specimens using clonoSEQ (Adaptive Biotechnologies). Finally, we evaluated TCR repertoire dynamics over time in 66 DLBCL patients after CAR19 T-cell therapy. Results: SABER demonstrated superior recovery of TCR clonotypes from cfDNA compared to both amplicon sequencing (LymphoTrack, Invivoscribe) and hybrid-capture methods when enumerating receptors using MiXCR (Fig. 1A). When applied to blood samples from TCL patients, SABER identified the malignant clonal TCR-β rearrangement in 8/9 (88.9%) cases, with significantly improved detection in cfDNA (p=0.015, Fig. 1B). Specifically, tumoral TCR clonotype was detectable only in cfDNA in 6 cases (75%), cfDNA-enriched in 1 case (12.5%), and detectable only in PBMCs in 1 case (12.5%). We applied SABER to monitor TCR repertoire dynamics in cfDNA after CAR T-cell therapy of patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL and observed increased T-cell turnover and repertoire expansion (greater total TCR-β clonotypes) (Fig. 1C). As early as 1-week after CAR19 infusion, TCR repertoire size was significantly correlated both with cellular CAR19 T-cell levels by flow cytometry (p=0.008) as well as with retroviral CAR19 levels in cfDNA (p=2.20e-07) suggesting faithful monitoring of CAR T-cell activity (Fig. 1D). TCR repertoire size one month after infusion was significantly associated with longer progression-free survival (HR 0.246, 95% CI 0.080-0.754, p=0.014). Conclusions: SABER has a favorable profile for cfDNA TCR repertoire capture when compared to existing methods and could thus have potential broad applicability to diverse disease contexts. Given the higher abundance of lymphoma-derived TCRs in cfDNA than intact circulating leukocytes, SABER holds promise for monitoring minimal residual disease in T-cell lymphomas. This approach also holds promise for monitoring T-cell repertoire changes including after CAR T-cell therapy and for predicting therapeutic responses. Disclosures Kurtz: Genentech: Consultancy; Foresight Diagnostics: Other: Ownership; Roche: Consultancy. Kim:Corvus: Research Funding; Eisai: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Elorac: Research Funding; Forty Seven Inc: Research Funding; Galderma: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Horizon Pharma: Consultancy, Research Funding; Innate Pharma: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Kyowa-Kirin Pharma: Research Funding; Medivir: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Merck: Research Funding; miRagen: Research Funding; Neumedicine: Consultancy, Research Funding; Portola: Research Funding; Seattle Genetics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Solingenix: Research Funding; Takeda: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Trillium: Research Funding. Mackall:Lyell Immunopharma: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company; BMS: Consultancy; Allogene: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Apricity Health: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company; Nektar Therapeutics: Consultancy; NeoImmune Tech: Consultancy. Miklos:Kite-Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotech: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Juno-Celgene-Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics Inc.: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Travel support; Miltenyi Biotec: Research Funding. Diehn:Varian Medical Systems: Research Funding; Illumina: Research Funding; Roche: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; RefleXion: Consultancy; BioNTech: Consultancy. Khodadoust:Seattle Genetics: Consultancy; Kyowa Kirin: Consultancy. Alizadeh:Janssen: Consultancy; Genentech: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Chugai: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy; Pfizer: Research Funding.

Introduction: Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T cell therapy targeting CD19 has shifted our treatment approach for relapsed and refractory (r/r) pediatric B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The landmark ELIANA pediatric trial studying tisagenlecleucel, CD19-specific CAR T cells, demonstrated a complete response (CR) rate of 81% in 75 infused patients and 12 month overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates of 76% and 50% respectively. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity rates of 77% and 40% were respectively reported. In August 2017, the FDA approved tisagenlecleucel for B-cell ALL that is refractory or in second or greater relapse in patients up to age 25. With CAR commercialization, institutions deliver tisagenlecleucel without the regulation of a clinical study and practices relating to CAR delivery and reporting remain heterogeneous. Here, we report real world clinical outcomes using commercially available tisagenlecleucel for pediatric r/r B-ALL. Methods and Results: Retrospective data were collected from PRWCC member institutions (n=15) and included 200 patients. This includes 15 (7.5%) patients not infused due to manufacturing failure (n=6), death from disease progression and/or toxicity (n=7), or physician discretion following disease remission from prior therapy(n=2). The remaining 185 patients (92.5%) were infused with tisagenlecleucel, including 87% (161) receiving standard-of-care CAR T cell products meeting manufacturing release criteria and 13% (24) receiving CD19-CAR T cells manufactured by Novartis and provided on the managed access program (NCT03601442; n=14) or with single-patient IND approval (n=10). At time of CAR T cell infusion, median age was 12 years (range 0-26) with 40% females and 60% males. Median duration of follow-up at time of analysis was 11.2 months (range 0.2-28.8). The CR rate at 1 month follow up was 79% (156/198) on an intent-to-treat basis and 85% (156/184) among evaluable infused patients. Of infused patients achieving morphologic CR with available testing, 97% (148/153) were negative for MRD by flow cytometry. Duration of remission at 6 and 12 months among patients who achieved CR was 75% and 63% respectively, with 35% (55/156) of responders experiencing relapse. At time of relapse, 41% (21/51) of evaluable patients had relapse with CD19- disease and 59% (30/51) had continued CD19 expression. OS and EFS rates were 85% and 64% at 6 months and 72% and 51% at 12 months, respectively. CRS and neurotoxicity of any grade were seen in 60% (111/184) and 22% (39/181) of evaluable patients with ≥ grade 3 CRS and neurotoxicity rates of 19% (35/184) and 7% (12/181) respectively. One grade 5 CRS and 1 grade 5 neurotoxicity (intracranial hemorrhage) were reported. Post infusion toxicity management included tocilizumab in 26% (47/184) and systemic steroids in 14% (25/184) of patients. Among 181 infused patients with documented disease burden, 51% (95) had high burden (HB) disease , as defined by >5% bone marrow lymphoblasts, peripheral blood lymphoblasts, CNS3 status or non-CNS extramedullary (EM) site of disease; 22% (40) had low burden (LB) disease, defined by detectable disease not meeting the HB criteria; and 25% (46) had no detectable disease (NDD) at time of last evaluation prior to CAR infusion. The morphologic CR rate was lower at day 28 in HB vs. LB and NDD (74% vs. 98% and 96%) and the OS and EFS were lower among patients with HB at 6 mo [OS; 75% (HB), 94%(LB), 98% (NDD), EFS; 50% (HB), 86% (LB), 75%(NDD), p Conclusions: This retrospective, multi-institutional analysis describes real world outcomes using tisagenlecleucel to treat pediatric r/r B-ALL. Early responses at 1 month and OS and EFS at 6 and 12 months are comparable to reported ELIANA trial outcomes. Safety is demonstrated in this cohort with lower rates or CRS and neurotoxicity, likely related to a lower disease burden cohort. Continued relapse and decrease in OS without evident plateau is seen following 6 months post-infusion warranting expanded follow up. Comparative analysis of outcomes in patient cohorts with varying disease burden demonstrate decreased CR, EFS and OS in patients with high disease burden as compared to patients with lower disease burden or no detectable disease at last evaluation prior to CAR infusion. Disclosures Phillips: Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Stefanski:Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Speakers Bureau. Margossian:Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Jazz Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Verneris:Fate Therapeutics: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Bmogen: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Uptodate: Consultancy. Myers:Novartis: Consultancy, Honoraria, Other: ELIANA trial Steering Committee, Speakers Bureau. Brown:Jazz: Honoraria; Servier: Honoraria; Janssen: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy. Qayed:Novartis: Consultancy; Mesoblast: Consultancy. Hermiston:Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Sobi: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Satwani:Takeda: Consultancy; Mesoblast: Consultancy. Curran:Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Mesoblast: Consultancy; Celgene: Research Funding. Mackall:Lyell Immunopharma: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company; Nektar Therapeutics: Consultancy; NeoImmune Tech: Consultancy; Apricity Health: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company; BMS: Consultancy; Allogene: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Laetsch:Cellectis: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pfizer: Research Funding; Bayer: Consultancy, Research Funding.

Introduction: Immunomonitoring of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells relies primarily on their quantification in the peripheral blood, which inadequately quantifies their biodistribution and activation status in the tissues. Non-invasive molecular imaging of CAR T cell therapy by positron emission tomography (PET) is a promising approach providing spatial, temporal and functional information. Reported strategies for PET-based monitoring of CAR T cells rely on additional manipulation of the cell product such as the incorporation of reporter transgenes or ex vivo biolabeling, which significantly limits the wider application of CAR T cell molecular imaging. In the present study, we assessed the ability of antibody-based PET (immunoPET) to non-invasively visualize CAR T cells in vivo. Methods: For analysis of human CAR T cell activation, we analyzed publicly available RNA sequencing data (GSE136891) obtained at serial time points during in vitro culture of CD19.CD28z CAR T cells. We analyzed by mass cytometry (CyTOF) the ex vivo ICOS expression on human CD19-28z CAR T cells obtained from 31 patients receiving axicabtagene ciloleucel (Axi-cel) for relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). For in vivo murine experiments, CD19-expressing B-cell lymphoma A20 cells (2.5×10e5 cells) were injected by tail vein intravenously (i.v.) into sub-lethally (4.4 Gy) irradiated Thy1.2+ BALB/c mice. Seven days later, murine CD19.CD28z Luc+ Thy1.1+ CAR T cells (1×10e6) were i.v. injected. ICOS expression was analyzed by flow cytometry on CAR T cells recovered from spleen and bone marrow 5 days after injection. For imaging studies, anti-ICOS monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for murine ICOS (clone:7E.17G9, BioXcell) was modified with the bifunctional chelator deferoxamine (DFO/p-SCN-Bn-Deferoxamine). The DFO-ICOS mAb conjugate was radiolabeled with 37 MBq (~1 mCi) of 89Zr-oxalate (final specific activity 6 µCi/µg/ml and radiochemical purity of 99%). 89Zr-DFO-ICOSmAb (45 μCi ± 3.6, 7.5 μg± 0.6) was injected i.v. 5 days post-CAR T cell administration and PET-CT imaging performed 48 hours later. Following PET-CT, mice were euthanized and radioactivity measured in dissected weighed tissues using a gamma-counter. Results: Analysis of RNA-sequencing data from human CAR T cells identified ICOS as an activation marker whose transcription was up-regulated and sustained during in vitro culture. ICOS was preferentially expressed on CAR+ T cells recovered at day 7 from axi-cel treated patients compared with CAR- cells (p Conclusions: We describe for the first time an immunoPET approach to monitor the in vivo dynamics of CAR T cell migration, expansion, and persistence that does not require the addition of reporter genes or ex vivo labeling, being therefore applicable to the clinical setting for the study of any commercially available and investigational CAR T cell products. Disclosures Miklos: Novartis: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics Inc.: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Juno-Celgene-Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Travel support; Miltenyi Biotec: Research Funding; Kite-Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotech: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding. Mackall:BMS: Consultancy; Allogene: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Lyell Immunopharma: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company; NeoImmune Tech: Consultancy; Nektar Therapeutics: Consultancy; Apricity Health: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company. Gambhir:CellSight Inc: Current equity holder in private company. Negrin:Amgen: Consultancy; BioEclipse Therapeutics: Current equity holder in private company; Magenta Therapeutics: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Biosource: Current equity holder in private company; KUUR Therapeutics: Consultancy; UpToDate: Honoraria.

BACKGROUND: CD22 is expressed on the majority of B-cell malignancies. Autologous CAR T-cells targeting CD22 (CAR22) have yielded objective response rates (ORR) of 70-90% in pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), including those who had previously failed CD19-directed CAR T-cell (CAR19) therapy. Based on these encouraging results, we evaluated CAR22 in adult patients with R/R ALL and for the first time in patients with R/R large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL), including those who had failed prior autologous CAR19 therapy. METHODS: This single-institution phase I dose escalation clinical trial (NCT04088890) is evaluating a CAR construct incorporating the m971 CD22 single chain variable fragments and 41BB/CD3z endodomains integrated within autologous T-cells via lentiviral transduction. After lymphodepletion with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, patients were infused with fresh or cryopreserved CAR T-cells after a 7- to 11-day closed manufacturing process utilizing the CliniMACS Prodigy device (Miltenyi). The current cohort includes patients treated at dose level 1 (DL1), which was 1x106 CAR+ cells/kg. Primary objectives assessed the ability to successfully manufacture CAR22 and safety. Overall response rate (ORR) at 28 days post-infusion (D28) was a secondary objective. RESULTS: Three patients with LBCL have been enrolled with a median age of 53 years (range, 51-57) and a median of 6 (range, 5-8) prior lines of therapy. All three patients received prior CAR19 and had refractory disease to second-line or later therapy (n=3); had not undergone autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) (n=3); had MYC and BCL2 gene rearrangements (double-hit lymphoma; n=2); had high tumor burden (SPD >50 cm2; n=2); had a history of primary refractory disease (n=1); or had never achieved CR to any therapy (n=1). Six patients with ALL have been enrolled with a median age of 43.5 years (range, 23-62) and a median of 6 (range, 4-8) prior lines of therapy. All six patients received prior allogeneic HSCT and had Ph-positive disease (n=3); had central nervous system (CNS) involvement (n=3); had extramedullary disease (n=2); had high disease burden (BM blasts >5%; n=2); had received prior CD19-directed therapy (n=5); or had received prior CD22-directed therapy (n=3). Successful manufacturing of cells at DL1 was achieved in all patients. All patients (LBCL n=3, ALL n=6) reached day 28 and are included in the safety and response analysis presented here; updated results will be presented at the meeting. Eight patients (88.9%) experienced cytokine release syndrome (CRS); all were Grade 1-2. There were no cases of immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). No differences in toxicities were seen across the patient age spectrum and no Grade 5 toxicities occurred following CAR22 infusion. In LBCL, all patients achieved a response at D28 (ORR=100%; CR, n=1, PR, n=2). Both patients with a D28 PR improved to CR by day 90 and 180. All patients remain in CR, with a median follow-up of 8.4 months (range, 6-9.3). In ALL, all patients achieved a CR at D28 (ORR=100%; MRD-, n=5, MRD+, n=1). After a median follow up of 5.1 months (range, 1-8.2), three patients relapsed at 2.5, 4, and 5.5 months after infusion; one patient died while undergoing subsequent therapy 7.3 months post-infusion. CD22 expression by flow cytometry was downregulated or absent in two patients after relapse. Peak CAR expansion as detected by peripheral blood flow cytometry reached a median level of 90.1 (LBCL; range, 85.4-350) and 43.4 (ALL; range, 0.9-399.6) CAR+ cells/µL between D14 and D21. In two LBCL patients with progression following CAR19, CAR22 levels were 11.7 and 55.9 fold higher than prior CAR19 levels at peak expansion. CONCLUSIONS: Infusion of CD22-targeting CAR T-cells in R/R LBCL and ALL is safe and well tolerated. Manufacturing of CAR22 was uniformly successful. To date, 3 of 3 heavily treated adult patients with LBCL whose disease relapsed after prior CAR19 have each achieved CR durable to at least 6 months. All adult ALL patients have achieved CR following CAR22, with some early relapses observed. Accrual is ongoing. Disclosures Negrin: Amgen: Consultancy; Biosource: Current equity holder in private company; UpToDate: Honoraria; KUUR Therapeutics: Consultancy; Magenta Therapeutics: Consultancy, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; BioEclipse Therapeutics: Current equity holder in private company. Rezvani:Pharmacyclics: Research Funding. Shiraz:ORCA BioSystems: Research Funding; Kite, a Gilead Company: Research Funding. Sidana:Janssen: Consultancy. Mackall:BMS: Consultancy; Allogene: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Apricity Health: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company; Nektar Therapeutics: Consultancy; NeoImmune Tech: Consultancy; Lyell Immunopharma: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company. Miklos:Kite-Gilead: Consultancy, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotech: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Allogene Therapeutics Inc.: Research Funding; Juno-Celgene-Bristol-Myers Squibb: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy, Other: Travel support, Patents & Royalties, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Other: Travel support; Miltenyi Biotec: Research Funding. Muffly:Amgen: Consultancy; Adaptive: Research Funding; Servier: Research Funding. OffLabel Disclosure: CD22-directed CAR T-cell Therapy for the treatment of adults with relapsed/refractory LBCL and B-ALL

Publisher's Note: This article has a companion Point by Jabbour and Kantarjian. Publisher's Note: Join in the discussion of these articles at Blood Advances Community Conversations.

Introduction: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is the most prevalent acute leukemia in the United States, accounting for more than 11,000 deaths each year and with a 5-year overall survival rate of less than 30%. With the exception of Gemtuzumab ozogamycin, an anti-CD33 antibody drug conjugate, the landmark success of immunotherapy in other hematologic malignancies has not translated to AML. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapy, in which T cells are engineered with redirected tumor specificity, holds promise for the treatment of AML, but optimal antigens for CAR targeting of AML remain to be defined. We identified CD93 as a novel target for AML CAR therapy given high expression on many AML samples and an important role in leukemia stem cell (LSC) biology. Here, we describe anti-leukemic efficacy of CD93 CAR T cells both in vitro and in murine xenograft models. Consistent with predictions based on CD93 expression within the hematopoietic compartment, we demonstrate minimal CAR T cell toxicity to hematopoietic progenitors. However, we identify endothelial cell toxicity as a significant on-target, off-tumor toxicity. We also analyze endothelial expression of other common AML targets including CD123 and CD38 at baseline and in an inflammatory microenvironment and propose a strategy to incorporate endothelial expression considerations into rational design of combinatorial CAR T cells for AML. Results/Methods: CD93 was expressed to some degree on 24/25 (96%) of primary AML specimens, and was homogeneously expressed in 17/25 (68%). T cells were engineered to express second generation CD93 CARs based on the scFv of a humanized monocloncal CD93 antibody (F11) linked to CD28-CD3ζ or 4-1BB-CD3ζ intracellular domains (CD93-28z and CD93-BBz, respectively). CD93-28z and CD93-BBz CAR T cells incubated in vitro with target cells demonstrated AML-specific cytokine production measured by ELISA and cytotoxicity measured by IncucyteTM assay. CD93 CAR T cell treatment of NOD-SCID-IL2Rγc-/- (NSG) mice engrafted with the human AML line THP-1 resulted in improved leukemic control in comparison to mock-treated mice. In a patient derived xenograft model of primary AML, CD93 CAR T cell treatment resulted in significantly improved leukemic clearance, T cell expansion, and prolonged survival compared to mock-treated mice. CD93 CAR T cells were incubated with cord-blood derived CD34+ cells to evaluate CD93 CAR recognition of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and other hematopoietic progenitors. In an ELISA, CD93 CAR T cells did not produce cytokines against the bulk CD34+ population, in contrast to a positive control of AML. Additionally, after a 24h co-culture, CD93 CAR T cells did not kill any hematopoietic progenitor cells as assessed by flow cytometry. Furthermore, a methycellulose based colony forming assay confirmed that CD93 CAR T cells do not impact hematopoietic progenitor multipotent functional ability. We analyzed CD93 expression by immunohistochemistry of a tissue microarray of normal tissues. H-scores of all tissues analyzed were Hematopoietic cells and endothelial cells have a common developmental origin, and other AML CAR targets have been described as expressed on endothelial cells either at baseline or in the presence of inflammatory cytokines. A targeted analysis of CD123, CD38, and CD33 revealed that CD123 and CD38 are also expressed on endothelial cells, especially when cells are pretreated with IFN𝛾 and TNF⍺. Conclusion: Progress in generating effective CAR T cells for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been hampered the paucity of AML cell surface antigens that are not expressed on vital tissues. Combinatorial antigen targeting will likely play a major role in advancing CAR T cell therapy for AML. Our data support that endothelial expression at baseline and in an inflammatory microenvironment should be considered as a factor in any rational combinatorial targeting strategy, and that creative CAR engineering will be necessary for certain AML targets, including CD93, to circumvent endothelial toxicity. Disclosures Richards: Stanford University: Patents & Royalties: pending patent application for CD93 CAR. Sotillo:Lyell Immunopharma: Consultancy, Other: Consultancy. Hong:Genentech, Inc.: Current Employment; F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Majzner:Zai Lab: Consultancy; Xyphos Biopharma: Consultancy; Aprotum Group: Consultancy; GammaDelta Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Illumina Radiopharmaceuticals: Consultancy; Lyell Immunopharma: Consultancy. Majeti:CircBio Inc.: Research Funding; Gilead Sciences, Inc.: Patents & Royalties: inventor on patents related to CD47 cancer immunotherapy; Stanford University: Patents & Royalties: pending patent application on CD93 CAR ; BeyondSpring Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Forty-Seven Inc.: Divested equity in a private or publicly-traded company in the past 24 months; Coherus BioSciences: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Zenshine Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kodikaz Therapeutic Solutions Inc.: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Mackall:Lyell Immunopharma: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company; BMS: Consultancy; Allogene: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company; Apricity Health: Consultancy, Current equity holder in private company; Nektar Therapeutics: Consultancy; NeoImmune Tech: Consultancy.

T-cell receptors (TCRs) and chimeric antigen receptors recognizing tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) can now be engineered to be expressed on a wide array of immune effectors. Engineered receptors targeting TAAs have most commonly been expressed on mature T cells, however, some have postulated that receptor expression on immune progenitors could yield T cells with enhanced potency. We generated mice (survivin-TCR-transgenic [Sur-TCR-Tg]) expressing a TCR recognizing the immunodominant epitope (Sur20-28) of murine survivin during early stages of thymopoiesis. Spontaneous T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) occurred in 100% of Sur-TCR-Tg mice derived from 3 separate founders. The leukemias expressed the Sur-TCR and signaled in response to the Sur20-28 peptide. In preleukemic mice, we observed increased cycling of double-negative thymocytes expressing the Sur-TCR and increased nuclear translocation of nuclear factor of activated T cells, consistent with TCR signaling induced by survivin expression in the murine thymus. β2M(-/-) Sur-TCR-Tg mice, which cannot effectively present survivin peptides on class I major histocompatibility complex, had significantly diminished rates of leukemia. We conclude that TCR signaling during the early stages of thymopoiesis mediates an oncogenic signal, and therefore expression of signaling receptors on developing thymocytes with specificity for TAAs expressed in the thymus could pose a risk for neoplasia, independent of insertional mutagenesis.

Natural killer (NK) cells can enhance engraftment and mediate graft-versus-leukemia following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), but the potency of graft-versus-leukemia mediated by naturally reconstituting NK cells following HSCT is limited. Preclinical studies demonstrate that activation of NK cells using interleukin-15 (IL-15) plus 4-1BBL upregulates activating receptor expression and augments killing capacity. In an effort to amplify the beneficial effects of NK cells post-HSCT, we conducted a first-in-human trial of adoptive transfer of donor-derived IL-15/4-1BBL-activated NK cells (aNK-DLI) following HLA-matched, T-cell-depleted (1-2 × 10(4) T cells/kg) nonmyeloablative peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in children and young adults with ultra-high-risk solid tumors. aNK-DLI were CD3(+)-depleted, CD56(+)-selected lymphocytes, cultured for 9 to 11 days with recombinant human IL-15 plus 4-1BBL(+)IL-15Rα(+) artificial antigen-presenting cells. aNK-DLI demonstrated potent killing capacity and displayed high levels of activating receptor expression. Five of 9 transplant recipients experienced acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following aNK-DLI, with grade 4 GVHD observed in 3 subjects. GVHD was more common in matched unrelated donor vs matched sibling donor recipients and was associated with higher donor CD3 chimerism. Given that the T-cell dose was below the threshold required for GVHD in this setting, we conclude that aNK-DLI contributed to the acute GVHD observed, likely by augmenting underlying T-cell alloreactivity. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT01287104.

Introduction: Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells targeting either CD19 or CD22 have yielded striking complete remission (CR) rates of 70%-90% in patients with relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but CD19 negative and CD22 low relapse limits the curative potential of these single-antigen CAR T cell approaches. We hypothesized that a bivalent CAR-T construct that can target CD19 and/or CD22 would prevent antigen negative/low relapse. Here we present the combined single institution experience to date of pediatric and adult patients with R/R ALL treated with this novel bispecific CAR. Methods: We conducted parallel Phase I clinical trials of CD19/CD22 bispecific CAR T cells in pediatric and adult patients with relapsed/refractory ALL. We utilized lentiviral transduction of a bivalent CAR construct incorporating the fmc63 CD19 and m971 CD22 single chain variable fragments (scFvs) and a 41BB costimulatory endodomain. After lymphodepletion with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide, patients were infused with fresh or cryopreserved CAR T cells manufactured using a 7-11 day process. Two dose levels were tested during dose escalation: Dose level 1 was 1x106 CAR T cells/kg and dose level 2 was 3x106 cells/kg. Primary objectives assessed the ability to successfully manufacture CAR19/22 CAR T cells and safety while response at Day 28 post-infusion was a secondary objective. Blood, bone marrow and cerebrospinal fluid samples were obtained at protocol defined intervals for correlative biology studies. Results: Nineteen patients have been enrolled (10 pediatric; 9 adult) with a median age of 23 years (range, 2-68) and median of 4 (range, 2-11) prior lines of leukemia-directed therapy. Ten patients received prior HCT, 9 were treated with prior Blinatumomab, 3 with prior CD19 directed CAR T cells and 4 with prior Inotuzumab. Fourteen patients (8 pediatric, 6 adult) have been infused to date with CD19/CD22 bispecific CAR T cells; 7 were treated at dose level 1 (DL1) and 7 at dose level 2 (DL2). Successful manufacturing of cells at target dose levels was achieved in all patients. Twelve patients have reached day 28 and are included in the safety and response analysis presented here. Nine of 12 (75%) experienced cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and 2/12 (17%) developed immune-effector cell neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS). The CRS and ICANS were all grade 1 or 2 across both dose levels and across pediatric and adult patients except for one adult with high disease burden who experienced grade 4 CRS and grade 4 ICANS, both of which were reversible. No differences in toxicities were seen across the patient age spectrum and there were no cases of treatment-related mortality within 28 days following CAR T infusion. Eleven of 12 (92%) patients achieved a CR, 10 of whom achieved CR at day 28 and one with a PR of extramedullary disease at day 28 which improved to CR by day 180 without further leukemia-directed intervention. One patient had primary progressive disease prior to day 28. Peak CAR expansion as detected by peripheral blood flow cytometry reached a median level of 11.13% (DL1) and 29.1% (DL2) CAR T of CD3+ cells with a range of 0.7-22.54% and 3.8-86.96%, respectively. To date, 3 patients (1 pediatric and 2 adult patients) have relapsed, all with retention of CD19. Post-remission practice differed across pediatric and adult patients; Six pediatric patients reaching day 28 underwent consolidative hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) whereas no adult patients received subsequent HCT. One patient died from complications post HCT while in remission. Therefore, the overall survival for all infused patients was 92% with a median follow-up of 9.5 months from time of infusion (range, 1-20). Conclusion: The combined pediatric and adult phase I trials of bispecific CD19/CD22 targeting CAR T cells in relapsed/refractory ALL demonstrates safety and tolerability at two dose levels. Expanded accrual at dose level 2 is ongoing and clinical outcomes will be updated. This work additionally demonstrates feasibility of delivering unified B-ALL CAR T cell therapy across age boundaries. Multi-parametric CyTOF studies permitting CAR T cell phenotyping in conjunction with single cell TCR tracking, proteomics, epigenomics and cytokine profiling are ongoing and will be used to further characterize persisting CAR T cells and define inter-product and inter-patient variability. Disclosures Muffly: Pfizer: Consultancy; KITE: Consultancy; Adaptive: Research Funding. Majzner:Xyphos Inc.: Consultancy; Lyell Immunopharma: Consultancy. Feldman:Octane Biotech, Inc.: Employment; Personalized Medicine Initiative Science: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Miklos:Adaptive Biotechnologies: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite-Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Juno: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Becton Dickinson: Research Funding; Miltenyi Biotech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Precision Bioscience: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; AlloGene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Mackall:Obsidian: Research Funding; Lyell: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Other: Founder, Research Funding; Nektar: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; PACT: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Bryologyx: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Vor: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Roche: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Adaptimmune LLC: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Glaxo-Smith-Kline: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Allogene: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Apricity Health: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Unum Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Background: Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR19) T-cells have significant activity in patients with relapsed/refractory DLBCL (rrDLBCL). While the majority of rrDLBCL patients receiving axicabtagene ciloleucel (Axi-cel)achieve complete responses, a significant subset of patients experience disease progression (Locke FL, et al. Lancet Oncol. 2019). Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis has demonstrated utility for predicting therapeutic benefit in DLBCL, as well as for detecting emergent resistance mechanisms to targeted therapies. Here we apply cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis to patients receiving Axi-cel, to characterize molecular responses, resistance mechanisms, and to track CAR19 cells. Methods: We performed Cancer Personalized Profiling by Deep Sequencing (CAPP-Seq) on DNA from germline and plasma samples collected prior to CAR T-cell infusion, multiple time-points post infusion, and, where available, at the time of relapse from 30 patients receiving Axi-cel for rrDLBCL at Stanford University. We designed a novel hybrid-capture panel and analysis pipeline designed to detect both tumor variants, as well as Axi-cel specific recombinant retroviral sequences to quantify CAR19 levels in cfDNA. Tumor variants were identified prior to and following Axi-cel therapy to assess for emergent variants, and Axi-cel specific sequences were quantified. Results: The median follow-up for the 30 patients after Axi-cel infusion was 10 months, with 47% (14/30) of patients experiencing disease progression after Axi-cel therapy. We identified an average of 164.3 SNVs per case (range:1-685) before Axi-cel therapy; the most common coding variants identified at baseline were in MLL2 (29.2%), BCL2 (22.5%), and TP53 (19.3%). When treated as a continuous variable, pretreatment ctDNA levels were prognostic of PFS (HR 2.16, 95% CI 1.11-4.21, P=0.02). Using a previously established ctDNA threshold to stratify disease burden (2.5 log10(hGE/mL); Kurtz et al. JCO 2018), we observed significantly superior PFS in patients with low pretreatment ctDNA levels treated with Axi-cel (Fig. 1A). In the majority of Axi-cel treated patients (62.9%), ctDNA was detectable at day 28, and PFS was significantly longer in patients with undetectable ctDNA at this time-point (Fig. 1B). Multiple putative resistance mechanisms were identified at relapse after Axi-cel, including emergent variants in CD19, HVEM, and TP53, as well as copy number gains in PD-L1 (Fig. 1C). For example, in one patient, a CD19 stop-gain mutation, which was not detected prior to treatment or at the time of the first interim PET scan, emerged at the time of relapse (Fig. 1D). Finally, we found cfDNA evidence for Axi-cel DNA in 74% of patients 28 days after therapy, including in patients without evidence of circulating CAR T-cells in PBMCs. Axi-cel levels in cfDNA as measured by CAPP-Seq were significantly correlated with CAR19 flow cytometry (Pearson r=0.55, P=.015; Fig. 1E). Conclusions: Baseline and interim ctDNA measurements have prognostic significance in DLBCL patients being treated with CAR19 T-cells, and potential emergent resistance mutations, including in CD19, can be identified in patients via cfDNA analysis. Quantification of CAR19 T-cells using cfDNA is significantly correlated with flow cytometric quantification, indicating that these cells can be quantified via cfDNA. Taken together, these data indicate that cfDNA analysis is a powerful tool for predicting response to CAR19 therapy, identifying genomic determinants of resistance and quantifying CAR19 cells, which may in turn inform the next therapeutic steps. Figure 1: A) Kaplan Meier analysis of PFS, with patients stratified based on pre-Axi-cel therapy ctDNA level, above and below a previously established threshold (2.5 log10[haploid Genome Equivalents/mL]). B) A Kaplan Meier plot depicting PFS stratification for patients with detectable versus undetectable ctDNA at day 28 after Axi-cel infusion. C) Oncoprint depicting selected emergent and baseline tumor variants in progressors and non-progressors after Axi-cel therapy. D) Change in mean ctDNA variant allele frequency (VAF) and emergence of a CD19 stop-gain mutation (CD19 pTrpX) at the time of relapse in a patient who initially achieved a CR at day 28 after CAR19 infusion. E) Relationship between CAR19 T-cell quantification by cfDNA and flow cytometry. (ND: Not detected) Disclosures Kurtz: Roche: Consultancy. Chabon:Lexent Bio Inc: Consultancy. Khodadoust:Corvus Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Majzner:Xyphos Inc.: Consultancy; Lyell Immunopharma: Consultancy. Mackall:Obsidian: Research Funding; Lyell: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Other: Founder, Research Funding; Nektar: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; PACT: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Bryologyx: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Vor: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Roche: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Adaptimmune LLC: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Glaxo-Smith-Kline: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Allogene: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Apricity Health: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Unum Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Diehn:Roche: Consultancy; Quanticell: Consultancy; Novartis: Consultancy; AstraZeneca: Consultancy; BioNTech: Consultancy. Miklos:Miltenyi Biotech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Becton Dickinson: Research Funding; AlloGene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite-Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Juno: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Precision Bioscience: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Alizadeh:Genentech: Consultancy; Janssen: Consultancy; Pharmacyclics: Consultancy; Gilead: Consultancy; Celgene: Consultancy; Chugai: Consultancy; Roche: Consultancy; Pfizer: Research Funding.

Following CAR T cell therapy, many patients receive consolidative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), with the available donor pool recently expanding to include genetically engineered cell products. One such example with striking early promise is the α/Β T-cell depleted haploidentical HSCT (α/Β haplo-HSCT) given with bystander α/Β genetically modified T cells, termed BPX-501 cells. These cells are engineered to express an inducible caspase 9 (iCas9) suicide vector that can be activated by the AP1903 (Rimiducid) dimerizing agent in the event of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (US NCT03301168). Here, we report the identification of an unexpected dual expressing CD19+/CD3+ T cell subset in a 10 year old patient who underwent apheresis collection for CAR T cell manufacturing upon relapse six months after α/Β haplo-HSCT and BPX-501 cell addback. A leukapheresis product was collected and CD4 and CD8 T cells were selected from this product for CAR transduction using the Miltenyi CliniMACS Prodigy. T cell purity was assessed using flow cytometry. Characterization of his T cell product at this stage revealed an aberrant cell population expressing both surface CD3 and CD19 (Fig 1a) and lacking additional B cell surface markers, excluding leukemic origin of these cells. This patient was the recipient of the described BPX-501 cell product. BPX-501 cells are also engineered to express a truncated version of CD19 to permit tracking of these modified T cells in patients, post-infusion. We hypothesized that these dual positive CD19+/CD3+ cells were the BPX-501 cells derived from his paternal haploidentical donor and still circulating despite leukemia relapse. We utilized the patient's leukapheresis sample to better characterize these cells. Flow cytometry confirmed the presence of this dual positive CD19+/CD3+ population in the apheresis product. We subsequently treated the apheresis product with Rimiducid in vitro and observed elimination of the CD19+/CD3+ cell subset in a dose dependent manner, thus confirming that these cells were BPX-501 cells (Fig 1b). We additionally investigated the fate of the BPX-501 cells following CAR transduction and observed an absence of this subset post-CAR transduction (Fig 1a). Cells co-expressing CD19-targeting CARs and surface CD19 were not observed in the final manufactured product. The most likely explanation for this phenomenon is in vitro fratricide of the CD19+ T cell population by the CD19-specific CAR+ T cells in culture. We aim to bring attention to this cell phenotype that may be recognized with greater frequency as CAR T therapy and engineered α/Β haplo-HSCT are increasingly coupled. We additionally suggest consideration towards using alternative markers to CD19 as a synthetic identifier for post-transplant add-back products, as CD19-expression on effector T cells may complicate subsequent treatment using CD19-directed therapy. Disclosures Majzner: Xyphos Inc.: Consultancy; Lyell Immunopharma: Consultancy; Xyphos Inc.: Consultancy. Mackall:Obsidian: Research Funding; Lyell: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Other: Founder, Research Funding; Nektar: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; PACT: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Bryologyx: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Vor: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Roche: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Adaptimmune LLC: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Glaxo-Smith-Kline: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Allogene: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Apricity Health: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Unum Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Feldman:Octane Biotech, Inc.: Employment; Personalized Medicine Initiative Science: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.

Background: Early data from anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell trials suggest that concurrent infection can lead to poor outcomes. 1,2 The relationship between CAR T-cell mediated inflammatory responses and infections is not well-established. With CAR T-cell therapies more readily available, practitioners must identify which patient, disease and CAR T-cell specific parameters are associated with an increased risk of infection to optimize outcomes. We provide a comprehensive analysis of infection risk within the first 30 days after CAR T-cell infusion across multiple types of CAR T-cell trials targeting distinct antigens. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective study conducted at the National Cancer Institute analyzing infectious complications in subjects who underwent CAR T-cell therapy on one of four phase I clinical trials, targeting CD19, CD22, B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) or disialoganglioside (GD2) from 2012 though 2018. Baseline characteristics are in Table 1. The primary objective was to establish the incidence of infections between initiation of lymphodepleting (LD) chemotherapy through day 30 after CAR T-cell infusion. The secondary objective was to identify risk factors for infection. Patients were censored at relapse and/or initiation of alternative therapy, including treatment for relapse or consolidative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Univariate screening methods were used to identify parameters associated with increased risk of infection Results: Amongst 144 subjects, 52 (36.1%) received anti-CD19 CAR T-cells (CAR-T); 53 (36.8%) received anti-CD22 CAR-T, 26 (18.1%) received anti-BCMA CAR-T; and 13 (9%) received anti-GD2 CAR-T. The median age was 18 years (range: 4 to 66). Sixty-one (42.4%) had undergone at least one prior allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and 24 (16.7%) had at least one prior autologous HSCT. Sixty-eight (47.2%) had a history of a recent infection within 100 days of initiation of LD chemotherapy, of which 17 were a major chronic infection and 9 were considered severe. Fifty-eight (40.3%) subjects experienced a total of 103 infections from initiation of LD chemotherapy through day 30 post CAR T-cell infusion, with the median time to first infection being 6 days post-CAR infusion. Twenty-eight (19.4%) subjects had more than 1 infection; 20 (13.9%) subjects had C. difficile infection. The 103 infections consisted of 47 (45.6%) distinct episodes of focal bacterial infections (e.g., sinusitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infection), 25 (24.2%) episodes of bacteremia, 22 (21.4%) viral infections, and 9 (8.7%) invasive fungal infections. Fourteen infections (13.6%) occurred between initiation of LD chemotherapy and day 0 (prior to CAR T-cell infusion). Fever and neutropenia, without a source, was documented as a distinct entity in 85 patients (59.0%). Using univariate statistical screening methods, we identified 4 parameters that were individually associated with an increased risk of infection: increasing number of prior therapies (p=0.0034), prior history of recent infection within the past 100 days (p=0.0064), age > 18 (p =0.028), or enrollment on the CD22 CAR trial (p=0.0028). Eliminating the trial, since that is not generalizable, and combining these into a multivariable logistic regression model identified age > 18, prior history of infection and prior lines of therapies jointly associated with an increased risk of infection. Using these parameters, a predictive model was developed, which, when applied to the data set used to develop the model, can correctly predict 69 of 86 patients without an infection (80.3%; CI: 70.3-88.0%) as well as 32 of 58 patients with an infection (55.2%; 95% CI: 41.5- 68.3%). Conclusion: In this retrospective analysis, we provide the largest experience to date analyzing infection in the setting of CAR T-cell therapy across multiple CAR constructs. Our study demonstrates that adult age, prior history of infection, increased number of prior therapies and enrollment on a particular CAR T-cell trial, in this case the CD22 CAR-T trial, may lead to a higher risk of infection than in those without these risk factors. Further investigations are underway to evaluate clinical outcomes with infection which occur in the peri CAR T-cell setting and potential strategies to minimize infection risk. Generalizability of this model will be tested in an independent data set. Disclosures Lee: Kite, a Gilead Company: Research Funding; Harpoon Therapeutics: Consultancy; Juno Therapeutics: Other: External Advisory Board; ACI Clinical on behalf of Celgene:: Other: Independent Central Quality Review Committee. Mackall:Obsidian: Research Funding; Lyell: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Other: Founder, Research Funding; Nektar: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; PACT: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Bryologyx: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Vor: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Roche: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Adaptimmune LLC: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Glaxo-Smith-Kline: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Allogene: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Apricity Health: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Unum Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Kochenderfer:Kite and Celgene: Research Funding; Bluebird and CRISPR Therapeutics: Other: received royalties on licensing of his inventions. OffLabel Disclosure: Conditioning chemotherapy for CAR T-cell therapy; this is a retrospective study that used different lymphodepletion regimens.

Axicabtagene ciloleucel (Axi-cel) is an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved for the treatment of relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL). Long-term analysis of the ZUMA-1 phase 1-2 clinical trial showed that ~40% of Axi-cel patients remained progression-free at 2 years (Locke et al., Lancet Oncology 2019). Those patients who achieved a complete response (CR) at 6 months generally remained progression-free long-term. The biological basis for achieving a durable CR in patients receiving Axi-cel remains poorly understood. Here, we sought to identify CAR T-cell intrinsic features associated with CR at 6 months in DLBCL patients receiving commercial Axi-cel at our institution. Using mass cytometry, we assessed expression of 33 surface or intracellular proteins relevant to T-cell function on blood collected before CAR T cell infusion, on day 7 (peak expansion), and on day 21 (late expansion) post-infusion. To identify cell features that distinguish patients with durable CR (n = 11) from those who developed progressive disease (PD, n = 14) by 6 months following Axi-cel infusion, we performed differential abundance analysis of multiparametric protein expression on CAR T cells. This unsupervised analysis identified populations on day 7 associated with persistent CR or PD at 6 months. Using 10-fold cross-validation, we next fitted a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (lasso) model that identified two clusters of CD4+ CAR T cells on day 7 as potentially predictive of clinical outcome. The first cluster identified by our model was associated with CR at 6 months and had high expression of CD45RO, CD57, PD1, and T-bet transcription factor. Analysis of protein co-expression in this cluster enabled us to define a simple gating scheme based on high expression of CD57 and T-bet, which captured a population of CD4+ CAR T cells on day 7 with greater expansion in patients experiencing a durable CR (mean±s.e.m. CR: 26.13%±2.59%, PD: 10.99%±2.53%, P = 0.0014). In contrast, the second cluster was associated with PD at 6 months and had high expression of CD25, TIGIT, and Helios transcription factor with no CD57. A CD57-negative Helios-positive gate captured a population of CD4+ CAR T cells was enriched on day 7 in patients who experienced progression (CR: 9.75%±2.70%, PD: 20.93%±3.70%, P = 0.016). Co-expression of CD4, CD25, and Helios on these CAR T cells highlights their similarity to regulatory T cells, which could provide a basis for their detrimental effects. In this exploratory analysis of 25 patients treated with Axi-cel, we identified two populations of CD4+ CAR T cells on day 7 that were highly associated with clinical outcome at 6 months. Ongoing analyses are underway to fully characterize this dataset, to explore the biological activity of the populations identified, and to assess the presence of other populations that may be associated with CAR-T expansion or neurotoxicity. This work demonstrates how multidimensional correlative studies can enhance our understanding of CAR T-cell biology and uncover populations associated with clinical outcome in CAR T cell therapies. This work was supported by the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy. Figure Disclosures Muffly: Pfizer: Consultancy; Adaptive: Research Funding; KITE: Consultancy. Miklos:Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite-Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AlloGene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Precision Bioscience: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Miltenyi Biotech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Becton Dickinson: Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Juno: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Mackall:Vor: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Roche: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Adaptimmune LLC: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Glaxo-Smith-Kline: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Allogene: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Apricity Health: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Unum Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Obsidian: Research Funding; Lyell: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Other: Founder, Research Funding; Nektar: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; PACT: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Bryologyx: Other: Scientific Advisory Board.

Introduction: The autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy, axicabtagene ciloleucel (Axi-cel) improved long-term survival of patients with relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (r/r DLBCL). Long-term analysis of the pivotal ZUMA-1 trial indicates a 2-year PFS of ~40% (Locke, Lancet Oncology 2018). Early identification of patients with increased relapse risk may allow for early intervention and improved outcomes. In a pilot study of 6 ZUMA-1 patients, minimal residual disease (MRD) evaluation via a next-generation sequencing MRD assay (Adaptive Biotechnologies, Seattle, WA) to assess for circulating tumor (ct)DNA, mirrored clinical outcome as assessed by PET-CT (Hossain et. al. Leukemia & Lymphoma 2019). Based on these promising results, a multi-institutional prospective study utilizing cell-free MRD assessments to predict outcomes in r/r DLBCL patients after Axi-cel therapy was initiated. Methods: To identify tumor clonotype(s), tumor DNA extracted from archival paraffin-embedded tissue underwent PCR amplification of IgH-VDJ, IgH-DJ and IgKappa/Lambda regions using universal consensus primers. CtDNA levels were measured pre-LD, 0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 56, 90, 180, 270, and 365 days following Axi-cel infusion. PET-CT scans were obtained at baseline, Day 28, Month 3, 6, and 12 with response assessed per Lugano criteria. Deauville 1-3 was considered PET-negative. The protocol prespecified that patients with less than Day 28 follow-up be excluded from analysis. Any detectable ctDNA was considered MRD positive. Results: Here we report on the pre-planned analysis of the first 50 study patients with at least a Day 28 MRD assessment and 3 months of follow up. An additional 4 patients with at least 3 months of follow-up but who did not have a Day 28 MRD assessment were also included. Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients were similar to ZUMA-1 and a real-world analysis of 295 patient who received Axi-cel (Nastoupil et al ASH 2018). The median age was 61 years old (range 19-76) (53.7% male, 46.3% female) and 59% of patients received 3 or more prior lines of therapy (range 1-6). After a median follow-up of 7.5 months, the best overall response rate was 87% (47 of 54) and complete response rate was 57% (31 of 54). The median OS was not reached and median PFS was 4.6 months (panel A). At Day 28, 56% (28 of 50) of patients were MRD negative (MRD-neg) and 44% (22 of 50) were MRD positive (MRD-pos). As compared to MRD-pos, MRD-neg correlated with improved median PFS (not reached vs. 2.96 months, p Conclusion: MRD monitoring using high-throughput sequencing of ctDNA has the potentially to make an impact on the clinical management of patients undergoing Axi-cel therapy. Furthermore, ctDNA is an informative tool to compare CAR19 therapies that vary by costimulatory domains or production methods. This technology potentially overcomes fundamental limitations of DLBCL imaging (cost, radiation exposure & limited repetition) and may minimize the need for surveillance PET-CT scans. These results provide a rationale for designing MRD-based risk-adaptive CAR T cell clinical trials. Figure Disclosures Kirsch: Adaptive Biotechnologies: Employment. Jacob:Adaptive Biotechnologies: Employment, Other: shareholder. Mullins:Adaptive Biotechnologies: Employment. Lee:Adaptive Biotechnologies: Employment, Equity Ownership. Mackall:Obsidian: Research Funding; Lyell: Consultancy, Equity Ownership, Other: Founder, Research Funding; Nektar: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; PACT: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Bryologyx: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Vor: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Roche: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Adaptimmune LLC: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Glaxo-Smith-Kline: Other: Scientific Advisory Board; Allogene: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Apricity Health: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Unum Therapeutics: Equity Ownership, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees. Locke:Cellular BioMedicine Group Inc.: Consultancy; Kite: Other: Scientific Advisor; Novartis: Other: Scientific Advisor. Miklos:Adaptive Biotechnologies: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Novartis: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; Juno: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Celgene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; BMS: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Kite-Gilead: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees, Research Funding; AlloGene: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Precision Bioscience: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Miltenyi Biotech: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Becton Dickinson: Research Funding.

Substantial progress has been made in the treatment of precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL), but recurrent disease remains a leading cause of death in children due to cancer and outcomes for adults with B-ALL remain poor. Recently, complete clinical responses have been observed in small numbers of patients with B-ALL treated with adoptive immunotherapy using T cells genetically engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) targeting CD19, a cell surface molecule present in essentially all cases of B-ALL. Preclinical data suggest that CARs targeting CD22, another antigen present in the majority of B-ALL cases, are similarly potent. Several clinical studies already under way will soon more clearly define the rate of response to this novel therapy in B-ALL. Further work is needed to identify optimal platforms for CAR-based adoptive immunotherapy for leukemia, to establish guidelines for managing toxicity, and to determine whether the remissions induced by this approach can be rendered durable.

Target antigen density has emerged as a major factor influencing the potency of CAR T cells. Our laboratory has demonstrated that the activity of numerous CARs is highly dependent on target antigen density (Walker et al., Mol Ther, 2017), and high complete response rates in a recent trial of CD22 CAR T cells for B-ALL were tempered by frequent relapses due to decreased CD22 antigen density on lymphoblasts (Fry et al., Nat Med, 2018). To assess if antigen density is also a determinant of CD19 CAR T cell therapeutic success, we analyzed CD19 antigen density from fifty pediatric B-ALL patients treated on a clinical trial of CD19-CD28ζ CAR T cells. We found that patients whose CD19 expression was below a threshold density (2000 molecules/lymphoblast) were significantly less likely to achieve a clinical response than those whose leukemia expressed higher levels of CD19. In order to further understand this limitation and how it may be overcome, we developed a model of variable CD19 antigen density B-ALL. After establishing a CD19 knockout of the B-ALL cell line NALM6, we used a lentivirus to reintroduce CD19 and then FACS sorted and single cell cloned to achieve a library of NALM6 clones with varying CD19 surface densities. CD19-CD28ζ CAR T cell activity was highly dependent on CD19 antigen density. We observed decreases in cytotoxicity, proliferation, and cytokine production by CD19 CAR T cells when encountering CD19-low cells, with an approximate threshold of 2,000 molecules of CD19 per lymphoblast, below which, cytokine production in response to tumor cells was nearly ablated. Given that a CD19-4-1BBζ CAR is FDA approved for children with B-ALL and adults with DLBCL, we wondered whether CARs incorporating this alternative costimulatory domain would have similar antigen density thresholds for activation. Surprisingly, CD19-4-1BBζ CAR T cells made even less cytokine, proliferated less, and had further diminished cytolytic capacity against CD19-low cells compared to CD19-CD28ζ CAR T cells. Analysis by western blot of protein lysates from CAR T cells stimulated with varying amounts of antigen demonstrated that CD19-CD28ζ CAR T cells had higher levels of downstream signals such as pERK than CD19-4-1BBζ CAR T cells at lower antigen densities. Accordingly, calcium flux after stimulation was also significantly higher in CD19-CD28ζ than CD19-4-1BBζ CAR T cells. In a xenograft model of CD19-low B-ALL, CD19-4-1BBζ CAR T cells demonstrated no anti-tumor activity, while CD19-CD28ζ CAR T cells eradicated CD19-low leukemia cells. Therefore, the choice of costimulatory domain in CAR T cells plays a major role in modulating activity against low antigen density tumors. CD28 costimulation endows high reactivity towards low antigen density tumors. We confirmed the generalizability of this finding using Her2 CAR T cells; Her2-CD28ζ CAR T cells cleared tumors in an orthotopic xenograft model of Her2-low osteosarcoma, while Her2-4-1BBζ CAR T cells had no effect. This finding has implications for CAR design for lymphoma and solid tumors, where antigen expression is more heterogeneous than B-ALL. To enhance the activity of CD19-4-1BBζ CAR T cells against CD19-low leukemia, we designed a CAR with two copies of intracellular zeta in the signaling domain (CD19-4-1BBζζ). T cells expressing this double-zeta CAR demonstrated enhanced cytotoxicity, proliferation, cytokine production, and pERK signaling in response to CD19-low cells compared to single-zeta CARs. Additionally, in a xenograft model, CD19-4-1BBζζ CAR T cells demonstrated enhanced activity against CD19-low leukemia compared to CD19-4-1BBζ CAR T cells, significantly extending survival. The addition of a third zeta domain (CD19-4-1BBζζζ) further enhanced the activity of CAR T cells. However, inclusion of multiple copies of the costimulatory domains did not improve function. In conclusion, CD19 antigen density is an important determinant of CAR T cell function and therapeutic response. CD19-CD28ζ CARs are more efficient at targeting CD19-low tumor cells than CD19-4-1BBζ CARs. The addition of multiple zeta domains to the CAR enhances its ability to target low antigen density tumors. This serves as proof of concept that rational redesign of CAR signaling endodomains can result in enhanced function against low antigen density tumors, an important step for extending the reach of these powerful therapeutics and overcoming a significant mechanism of tumor escape. Disclosures Lee: Juno: Consultancy.

Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) therapy targeting CD19 achieves complete remission (CR) rates of 70%-90% in relapsed/refractory B-ALL. Relapse due to loss of the CD19 targeted epitope presents a therapeutic challenge as evidenced by the largest global pediatric CD19-CAR experience which showed 15 of 16 relapses to be explained by CD19 downregulation (Maude et al, NEJM 2018). Alternatively targeting CD22 using CD22-CAR therapy has demonstrated a CR rate of approximately 70% in both CD19+ and CD19- B-ALL, however relapse due to CD22 downregulation limits the curative potential of singularly-targeting CD22 (Fry et al, Nat Med. 2018). We hypothesized that simultaneous targeting of CD19 and CD22 via a bispecific CAR-T cell would be a safe and tolerable treatment strategy in relapsed/refractory B-cell ALL and address immune evasion. Here, we report the first clinical experience in pediatric patients using bispecific CD19-CD22 CAR T cells. We describe a single institution phase I dose escalation study in pediatric patients with relapsed or refractory B cell ALL. We utilized lentiviral transduction of a bivalent CAR construct incorporating the fmc63 CD19 and m971 CD22 single chain variable fragments (scFvs) used in clinically tested CAR constructs and a 41BB costimulatory endodomain (Fry et al, Nat Med. 2018). Our primary objectives are feasibility of production of this bivalent CAR and safety at 3 dose escalation levels (1x106, 3x106 and 1x107 CAR T cells/kg). Clinical response assessment is evaluated as a secondary aim. All patients described received lymphodepletion with fludarabine (25mg/m2 x 3 days) and cyclophosphamide (900mg/m2 x 1) followed by fresh or cryopreserved CAR T cell infusion after a 7-9 day production time. Patients were prospectively monitored at predefined intervals for disease response and correlative assessments. Four pediatric patients with precursor-B ALL, age 2-17, have been enrolled and treated with CD19/CD22 bispecific CAR T cells at dose level 1 (1x106) [Table 1]. Three patients entered CAR therapy with low disease burden detected by minimal residual disease (MRD) alone and 1 patient initiated therapy with 12% bone marrow blasts. All patients were CNS1 at time of treatment. The toxicity profile mirrored that of the singular CD19 and CD22 CAR experience with 3 patients experiencing reversible CRS (2 Grade I, 1 Grade II), onset day 3-8, and 2 patients experiencing grade I neurotoxicity, onset day 3-9. In our cohort, we experienced lower grade toxicities than previously reported, likely due to a mean lower disease burden. Only 1 patient with CRS met criteria for tocilizumab and this patient was the singular study patient treated with higher burden disease. Neurotoxicity was managed with supportive care and fully reversible. Peripheral blood flow cytometry analysis detects circulating CAR by day 6 in all patients and demonstrates peak CAR expansion between day 6-10. Peak CAR T expansion reached levels of 10-25% of total T cells with inter-patient variability in CD4 and CD8 predominance, favoring CD8 expansion in 3 of 4 patients. Clinical symptoms and inflammatory markers expectedly correlate with peak CAR expansion. Four of 4 patients achieved complete remission (CR) at day 28 post-CD19/CD22 bispecific CAR therapy. Three of 4 patients demonstrated MRD- remissions by flow cytometry and of these, next generation sequencing (NGS) was negative where available (N=2). Multi-parametric CyTOF studies permitting CAR T cell phenotyping in conjunction with single cell TCR tracking, proteomics, epigenomics and cytokine profiling are ongoing and will be used to further characterize persisting CAR T cells and define inter-product and inter-patient variability. In this phase I study, we demonstrate safety and tolerability of this bispecific CD19/CD22 CAR at a dose of 1x106 CAR T cells/kg in pediatric patients with relapsed/refractory B cell ALL. The CD19/22-bispecific CAR mediated antileukemic activity in 100% of patients studied thus far. Long-term follow up and further accrual will be required to inform the effect of bispecific CAR targeting on surface antigen remodeling. Disclosures Muffly: Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding; Shire Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Miklos:Genentech: Research Funding; Kite - Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics - Abbot: Consultancy, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding.

Autologous CD19 directed CAR T-cell therapy has response rates of >70% in adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and >40% in adult diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Large trials (ZUMA-1/JULIET/TRANSCEND) have highlighted that many patients fail to achieve durable responses. Several groups have reported on the phenomenon of CD19 immune escape as a cause (Grupp et al, NEJM 2013, Neelapu et al, NEJM 2017) and the NIH Pediatric Oncology Branch has shown CD22 as an alternative target (Fry et al, Nat Med. 2018). We developed a bi-specific CAR construct targeting CD19 & CD22 with intracellular signaling domains incorporating 4-1BB and CD3ζ (CD19/CD22.BB.z) to overcome CD19 immune escape. Here, we present our Phase I experience with this bi-specific CAR in adults. This is a single institution phase I dose escalation study enrolling patients Age ≥ 18 years with relapsed/refractory B-ALL or DLBCL after standard therapies. Primary aim is to determine feasibility of manufacturing the bi-specific CAR and safety at three dose levels (1 x 106 CAR T cells/kg, 3 x 106 CAR T cells/kg, 1 x 107 CAR T cells/kg). Clinical response was evaluated as a secondary endpoint utilizing standard response criteria for ALL and DLBCL. All patients underwent lymphodepletion with cyclophosphamide (500mg/m2 daily x3 doses) and fludarabine (30mg/m2 daily x 3 doses) followed by CAR infusion two days later. Patients were assessed at pre-defined time-points (Day 28, Month 3, 6, 9, 12 then every 6-12 months) with correlative assessments including immunophenotyping, single cell RNAseq, CAR qtPCR, serum and single cell cytokine analysis. Seven adult patients (5 DLBCL, 2 ALL), aged 35 - 75 years have been enrolled and 6 treated, all at dose Level 1 [Table 1]. The first 3 patients received freshly harvested cells and the remaining received cryopreserved cells (1 patient treated twice received initial fresh then cryopreserved product). None received systemic bridging therapy before CAR T infusion. Six patients developed reversible cytokine release syndrome (CRS,4 with Grade 1, 2 with Grade 2), onset between Day 1 to 13, and 2 patients received tocilizumab & systemic steroids. Three patients developed neurotoxicity (1 with grade 2, Day 8-11 and the others grade 1) with grade 2 neurotoxicity managed with steroids. Four patients required growth factor support beyond Day 28 and all treated patients show persistent B-cell aplasia. Two patients achieved CR: an ALL patient with disease in bone marrow/blood/CNS was MRD negative at day 28 & 60; a 75yo DLBCL patient achieved PR at day 28 and CR at month 3. Three others have ongoing PR and one died of progressive disease after initial PR at Day 28. A patient with PD at Day 28 subsequently treated with radiation and 2-months of revlimid/rituximab, now has no detectable disease 6 months post CAR-T. One patient with initial 6-month PR received a second infusion due to PD, did not develop CRS or CRES with 2nd infusion and has SD at Day 28 Notably, the patient experienced a lack of CAR-T expansion with the second infusion, raising the possibility of an immunogenic response to the CAR-T cell infusion. Flow analysis of all patients' peripheral blood showed CAR expansion peaked at median Day 13 (range Day 10-20) and CARs remained detectable [Figure 1]. Multi-parametric CyTOF phenotyping of the CAR19-22 products showed significant numbers of transduced CAR-T memory stem cells (phenotype: CD3+CD8+CD45RA+CD127+CD27+CCR7+). Single cell cytokine secretion analysis (Isoplexis,Rossi et al Blood 2018) revealed high polyfunctional strength index (PSI) in both CD4+ and CD8+ cell subsets in each patient's pre-infusion CAR product that reflected phenotypic expansion in patients. Additional correlative studies, including cytokine analysis, qtPCR based CAR quantification and CyTOF phenotypic analysis of the CAR-T cells will be presented. This first adult phase I trial of bi-specific CAR targeting CD19 & CD22 shows low toxicity with promising efficacy including achievement of CR in adult DLBCL and ALL patients. We have escalated dose to 3x 106 CAR T cells/kg and an expansion study of 60 patients will follow. CAR-T cells expanded within the first 20 days and continue to be detectable through 6 months. Disclosures Muffly: Shire Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding. Miklos:Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Pharmacyclics - Abbot: Consultancy, Research Funding; Kite - Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy, Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding.

Background: Axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), an autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T), showed significant clinical responses in patients with relapsed-refractory large-B cell lymphomas in the Zuma-1 trial (Neelapu et al, NEJM 2017). Zuma-1 analysis showed blood CAR-T cell expansion was associated with clinical response and toxicity. Herein, we report on 25 patients treated with commercial axi-cel and describe CAR-T expansion by immunophenotyping and its correlation with clinical outcomes. Methods: Twenty-five patients with aggressive lymphoma consecutively apheresed at Stanford University prior to June 30, 2018 were studied on an IRB approved biorepository-clinical outcome protocol. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) was graded by Lee criteria (Blood 2014) and neurotoxicity according to Neelapu et. al (Nat. Rev. Clin. Onc. 2017). CAR-T cell immunophenotyping was assessed by peripheral blood flow cytometry on days 7, 14, 21 and 28 and then monthly. CAR-T cells were identified by gating on singlet+, live+, CD45+, CD14-, CD3+, anti-CD19-specific CAR mAb (clone 136.20.1; Jena et. al Plos 2013) and characterized as either CD4+ or CD8+. Results: Of 25 apheresed patients, 3 patients died prior to axi-cel infusion due to progressive lymphoma. Of 22 infused patients, 14 (64%) would have been eligible for the Zuma-1 trial. Reasons for ineligibility included symptomatic DVT (n=2), renal insufficiency (n=1), transaminitis (n=1), thrombocytopenia (n=1), MDS (n=1), pleural effusion (n=1) and 1 was ineligible by multiple criteria. Median time from initial clinic visit to infusion was 47 days (range 34-117); median time from apheresis to infusion was 22 days (range 19-38). Nine patients received bridging therapy prior to lymphodepletion chemotherapy (chemo = 4, radiation = 2, high dose dexamethasone = 3). Axi-cel infusion occurred in hospital and patients were followed expectantly for a minimum of 7 days or until adverse events resolved to Ninety-five percent of patients developed CRS (Grade 2 = 73%, none ≥Grade 3). Median number of tocilizumab doses was 1 (range 0-4). Neurotoxicity occurred in 64%, Grade 3 or 4 in 27%. Corticosteroid therapy was required in 82% (77% received both tocilizumab and steroids). Median duration of steroids was 8.5 days (range 1-30); 12 patients required at least 1 week and 4 patients ≥2 weeks. Of patients infused, complete response (CR) at day 28 was 45% (ORR 86%). Of 15 patients evaluable at 3 months, ORR was 53% (CR = 7, PR = 1) and 47% progressed, similar to Zuma-1. Ineligibility for Zuma-1 was not associated with inferior outcomes. Overall, median day 7 peak in vivo axi-cel expansion using anti-CAR19 flow cytometry was 38 CAR-T/ul (Fig. 1A), matching RT-PCR measured levels reported in Zuma-1. As shown in Fig. 1A, the majority of CAR-T cells were CD8+. Patients with Grade 2 CRS had significantly higher peak expansion of CAR-T cells (both CD4+ and CD8+) as compared to those with either Grade 0 or 1 CRS (Fig. 1B). Grades 2-4 neurotoxicity were significantly associated with peak total and CD8+ CAR-T but not CD4+ (Fig. 1B). Illustratively, 2 patients with the most robust CAR-T expansion (▪, ▼ Fig. 1A) experienced Grade 4 neurotoxicity including status epilepticus requiring multiple anti-epileptics and intubation. Peak CAR-T expansion in blood did not correlate with CR or ORR at day 28; expansion did not differ between patients who did or did not require steroids. Fine needle aspirates (FNA) on a subset of patients with FDG-avid lymph nodes 2-3 days post axi-cel showed significant CAR-T expansion within the node despite low detectable circulating CAR-T. Figure 1C depicts a 76-year-old male with double expressor DLBCL who attained a CR at day 28; day 14 blood CAR-T expansion was below average (6 CAR-T/ul), while his day 2 FNA showed >35% of CD3+ T-cells expressed CAR19. As of submission, 34 patients were apheresed and updated blood and FNA results will be presented. Conclusion: Our analysis of 22 infused axi-cel patients showed an ORR of 86% and CR of 45%, despite 36% Zuma-1 ineligibilities and steroid use in 82%. Blood CAR-T expansion was associated with both CRS and neurotoxicity but not clinical response. Detection of high concentration of CAR-T cells in affected lymph nodes 2 days post infusion suggests quantification of CAR-T cells at disease sites could be predictive of clinical responses. J.Y.S and B.S are co-first authors Disclosures Latchford: Kite a Gilead Company: Speakers Bureau. Muffly:Adaptive Biotechnologies: Research Funding; Shire Pharmaceuticals: Research Funding. Miklos:Kite - Gilead: Consultancy, Research Funding; Janssen: Consultancy, Research Funding; Genentech: Research Funding; Novartis: Consultancy, Research Funding; Pharmacyclics - Abbot: Consultancy, Research Funding; Adaptive Biotechnologies: Consultancy, Research Funding.

Introduction: Autologous anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CAR19) have shown dramatic clinical responses in relapsed-refractory large B cell lymphomas, but more than 50% of patients will have disease progression. Here we characterize the observed mechanisms of treatment failure following Axicabtagene Ciloleucel (Axi-cel) therapy. Methods: Sixty-nine patients with refractory large B cell lymphoma were referred for CAR19 therapy from October 2017 to June 2018. The WHO diagnosis and B cell antigen expression on lymphoma cells were assessed by immunohistochemistry and/or flow cytometry before and at the time of progression. We assessed peripheral blood CAR-T cell numbers at Days 7, 14, 21, and 28 by flow cytometry immunophenotyping and monitored disease response with PET-CT at Day 28, 3 months, and 6 months post-infusion. Results: Twenty-two patients who received CAR19 therapy, including patients with transformed large B cell lymphoma (N =5), diffuse large B cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (N =11), high grade B cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (N = 2), primary mediastinal large B cell lymphoma (N = 2), and high grade B cell lymphoma with rearrangement of MYC and BCL2 or BCL6 (N =2). The Day 28 ORR was 86%: 10 patients had complete response, 9 had a partial response, 1 had stable disease, and 2 had progressive disease. There was no statistically significant difference in age, gender, underlying disease, or number of prior treatment regimens between patients who achieved a clinical response versus those who failed therapy. Both patients (2 of 2) with progressive disease at Day 28 showed dim or partial CD19 expression prior to CAR-T infusion but nonetheless demonstrated robust Axi-cel expansion. In contrast, one patient with Day 28 stable disease showed no CAR-T cell expansion despite intact CD19 expression. Overall, there was no statistical difference in relative or absolute CAR+ T cells in patients who responded versus those who did not at Day 28 (Figure 1). Day 90 response was available for 12 patients with either CR or PR at Day 28. Five patients (26%) developed progressive disease, and 4 of 5 underwent repeat biopsy. Of these patients, 2 had complete loss of tumor CD19 (Figure 2) and another had downregulation of CD19 with variable expression of other B cell antigens. Conclusion: Eight of 22 (36%) of patients who underwent CAR19 infusion did not respond or relapsed after Day 28 response. Five patients (62%) who failed therapy had loss or downregulation of CD19, which emphasizes that single target antigen loss is a common mechanism of CAR-T failure. However, lack of CAR-T cell expansion was noted in multiple patients, suggesting that there may be T cell intrinsic causes of treatment failure. Further studies are necessary to help identify and predict which patients will benefit from targeted immunotherapy. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Essential survival signals within hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) and thymic niches are mediated by receptor tyrosine kinases, which can be reversibly inhibited using clinically available drugs. We studied whether sunitinib, a multityrosine kinase inhibitor that inhibits KIT, enhances engraftment after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in mice. Sunitinib diminished hematopoietic progenitor cell numbers, and sunitinib enhanced marrow, peripheral myeloid, and lymphoid engraftment after BMT in Rag1−/− mice. Sunitinib augmented HSC engraftment because recipients displayed increased myeloid and lymphoid engraftment and because sunitinib-treated recipients of purified HSCs showed enhanced engraftment of secondary hosts. However, sunitinib preferentially augmented T-cell engraftment with lesser effects on myeloid and HSC engraftment. Consistent with this, sunitinib preferentially depleted the early thymic progenitor subset in the thymus. Sunitinib did not increase engraftment in mice with deficient KIT signaling, and the pattern of more potent effects on T cell compared with HSC engraftment observed in sunitinib-treated hosts was also observed after BMT into KITW/Wv mice. These results implicate KIT as a critical modulator of thymic niches. We conclude that transient, pharmacologic inhibition of KIT enhances accessibility of marrow and thymic niches, and provides a novel, noncytotoxic approach to accomplish engraftment after stem cell transplantation.

Lymphopenia enhances the effectiveness of adoptive immunotherapy by facilitating expansion of transferred T cells but also limits the T-cell repertoire available to mediate immune responses and, in humans, is associated with chronic immune dysfunction. Previous studies concluded that lymphopenia augments adoptive immunotherapy by diminishing Tregs and increasing homeostatic cytokines. We sought to determine whether targeted therapies that replicate the physiology of lymphopenia in lymphoreplete hosts could provide a similarly supportive milieu. Pmel-1 T cells were transferred to B16-bearing lymphopenic versus lymphoreplete mice receiving αCD25 and/or recombinant human interleukin-7. Although CD25-based Treg depletion was inefficient because of peripheral expansion of CD4+CD25−FOXP3+ cells, outcomes were better in αCD25-treated lymphoreplete hosts than in lymphopenic hosts, and adoptive immunotherapy was most effective in lymphoreplete hosts receiving αCD25 plus recombinant human interleukin-7. Lymphopenic hosts supported increased proliferation of adoptively transferred antigen-specific T cells, but cells transferred to lymphoreplete recipients receiving targeted therapies showed superior function. Further, determinant spreading was substantial in lymphoreplete hosts but absent in lymphopenic hosts. These results demonstrate that targeted therapies delivered to mimic the “physiology of lymphopenia” enhance the efficacy of adoptive immunotherapy in lymphoreplete hosts and provide a potentially superior alternative to the induction of lymphopenia.

Vaccine-based expansion of T cells is one approach to enhance the graft-versus-tumor effect of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT), but the complex immunobiology of the allogeneic environment on responses to tumor vaccines has not been well characterized. We hypothesized that subclinical graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) impairs immunity, but modulation of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) signaling could reverse this effect. Dendritic cell vaccines and donor lymphocyte infusions (DLIs) were incorporated into a minor histocompatibility antigen-mismatched, T cell-depleted, allogeneic BMT mouse model. Animals were then challenged with H-Y expressing tumors. CD4(+) and CD8(+) responses to H-Y were diminished in vaccinated allogeneic versus syngeneic BMT recipients with DLI doses below the threshold for clinical GVHD, especially in thymectomized hosts. IFN-gamma receptor 1-deficient (IFN-gammaR1(-/-)) T cells cannot cause GVHD but also have diminished vaccine responses. Remarkably, IFN-gammaR1(-/-) bone marrow abrogates GVHD, allowing higher DLI doses to be tolerated, but improves vaccine responses and tumor protection. We conclude that tumor vaccines administered after allogeneic BMT can augment graft-versus-tumor if GVHD is avoided and that prevention of IFN-gamma signaling on donor bone marrow is an effective approach to preventing GVHD while preserving immunocompetence.

T-cell subpopulations, defined by their expression of CD4, CD8, naive, and memory cell-surface markers, occupy distinct homeostatic compartments that are regulated primarily by cytokines. CD8+ memory T cells, as defined by CD44hi surface expression, are dependent on IL-15 as a positive regulator of their homeostatic maintenance. Manipulation of IL-15 signaling through gene aberration, overexpression, or receptor alterations has been shown to dramatically affect T-cell homeostasis, with overexpression leading to fatal leukemia. Here we show that TGF-β is the critical negative regulator of murine CD8+ memory T-cell homeostasis with direct opposition to the positive effects of IL-15. This negative regulation is mediated, at least in part, by the ability of TGF-β to modulate expression of the β-chain of the IL-15 receptor, thus establishing a central axis between these 2 cytokines for homeostatic control of CD8+ memory T-cell populations. These data establish TGF-β as a critical and dominant tumor-suppressor pathway opposing IL-15-mediated CD8+ T-cell expansion and potential malignant transformation.

Despite recent progress in our understanding of the biology of T-cell homeostasis, clinically available therapies to substantially improve immune reconstitution in patients sustaining T-cell depletion are lacking. T cells are regenerated via a dynamic interplay between thymopoiesis and thymic-independent homeostatic peripheral expansion (HPE). Using athymic mice subjected to T-cell depletion, we observed that HPE is critically dependent on dendritic cells (DCs) for presentation of antigen, raising the possibility that the availability of DCs might be limiting in vivo for HPE to occur efficiently. Indeed, flt3 ligand (flt3L) treatment of athymic mice subjected to T-cell depletion (without DC depletion) substantially enhanced HPE and improved immune competence. Following bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in athymic hosts, both dendritic cells and T cells were profoundly depleted and flt3L therapy restored DC numbers and enhanced HPE. In addition, thymus-bearing BMT recipients treated with flt3L regenerated increased numbers of thymic-dependent progeny with increased numbers of T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC)-positive T cells, indicating increased thymopoiesis. Therefore, flt3L is a potent immunorestorative agent that enhances both thymic-dependent and thymic-independent pathways of T-cell regeneration. (Blood. 2004;104:2794-2800)

Interleukin-7 (IL-7) was initially isolated more than 10 years ago.[1-4][1] Nevertheless, the complete set of physiologic roles for this cytokine, especially those involving lymphocyte homeostasis, have only recently been elucidated. After the initial descriptions of effects on B-cell precursors

The impressive response rates of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) modified T cells in B-ALL and high grade B cell lymphomas illustrate their remarkable capacity to kill chemoresistant cancer. However, much work remains to be done if CAR T cells are to cure a high fraction of patients with B cell malignancies and if this potency is to be extended to other chemoresistant cancers. Experience in B cell malignancies has identified primary mechanisms of resistance to CAR T cells as antigen escape and T cell failure, which are generally mutually exclusive, such that antigen escape occurs in cases where CAR T cells persist whereas antigen positive recurrence is associated with disappearance of CAR T cells. A significant factor driving antigen escape is a requirement for high antigen density for CAR T cell function. Unlike natural T cells which are activated by low antigen density (e.g. ~10 peptides/cell), CAR T cells require high antigen density for activation, estimated to be ~10,000 antigens/cell. This is most well illustrated by experience with the CD22-CARs for B-ALL. CD22-CARs induce high response rates in both CD19+ and CD19neg/lo B-ALL, however this is followed by a significant rate of relapse associated with expression of CD22lo B-ALL. The basis for the CAR T cell requirement for high antigen density remains incompletely understood and efforts are underway to lower the antigen density required for CAR T cell activation. But this property could be leveraged to provide a therapeutic window for targeting antigens with low level expression on normal tissues, which may be useful for extending the efficacy of CAR T cells to solid tumors. Furthermore, acknowledgement of the CAR requirement for high antigen density as well as the general property of tumor heterogeneity leads to the prediction that monospecific CAR T cells are unlikely to eradicate most cancers. We have therefore focused efforts on optimizing approaches to develop bispecific CAR T cells and are currently testing bivalent, bispecific CD19/22-CAR T cells capable of activating in response to CD19 and/or CD22 expression. We hypothesize that simultaneous targeting of two antigens will lower the risk of antigen loss escape in B cell malignancies. The second major cause of resistance following CAR T cell therapy is T cell failure, most commonly as a result of T cell exhaustion. Current understanding of the biology of human T cell exhaustion remains incomplete. My laboratory has developed a model of "T cell exhaustion in a dish", which uses a synthetic biology model of tonically signaling CAR T cells to induce excessive TCR zeta phosphorylation and drive T cell exhaustion. We have observed that temporary cessation of TCR zeta phosphorylation using a small molecule based system to regulate CAR protein expression levels leads to remarkable rejuvenation of exhausted T cells. The rejuvenation induced via temporary cessation of zeta phosphorylation is significantly more potent than that induced by PD-1 blockade. These results suggest that regulatable CAR expression systems could prevent and/or reverse T cell exhaustion by attacking the "root cause", namely excessive or prolonged zeta phosphorylation. Disclosures Mackall: Vor Pharmaceuticals: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Roche: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Servier: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Adapt immune: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Glaxo-Smith-Kline: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Unum Therapeutics: Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees; Juno Therapeutics: Patents & Royalties: CD22-CAR; Bluebird Bio: Research Funding.

Inspired by his work with antiserum to prevent and treat infectious disease, Paul Ehrlich (see figure) envisioned a day when molecules could be fashioned to specifically bind rogue cells and equipped with a toxic moiety to mediate cell death. The magischen Kugeln or “magic bullets” first

Interleukin (IL)-7 is known to up-regulate thymopoietic pathways of T-cell regeneration. Recent work also has shown it to potently enhance thymic-independent peripheral expansion and to restore immunocompetence in athymic T-cell-depleted hosts. We hypothesized that endogenous IL-7 could contribute to the restoration of T-cell homeostasis following T-cell depletion. To analyze this, we evaluated circulating IL-7 levels and lymphocyte subsets in multiple clinical cohorts with T-cell depletion of varying etiologies. In pediatric (n = 41) and adult (n = 51) human immunodeficiency virus-infected CD4-depleted patients, there were strong inverse correlations between IL-7 levels and CD4 counts (r = -0.77, P

Administration of mobilized peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) after high-dose chemotherapy rapidly restores multilineage hematopoiesis, but the ability of such products to restore lymphocyte populations remains unclear. In this report, we evaluated immune reconstitution in a series of patients treated with sequential cycles of high-dose chemotherapy, followed by autologous PBPC infusions (median CD34+ cell dose 7.2 × 106 cells/kg [range 2-29.3]). Although patients experienced rapid reconstitution of B cells and CD8+ T cells, we observed CD4 depletion and diminished immune responsiveness in all patients for several months after completion of therapy. Mature CD4+ T cells contained within the grafts did not appear to contribute substantially to immune reconstitution because CD4 counts did not differ between recipients of unmanipulated T-cell replete infusions versus CD34 selected, T-cell–depleted infusions. Rather, at 12 months after therapy, total CD4 count was inversely proportional to age (ρ = −0.78,P = .04), but showed no relationship to CD34 cell dose (ρ = −0.42, P = .26), suggesting that age-related changes within the host are largely responsible for the limited immune reconstitution observed. These results demonstrate that in the autologous setting, the infusion of large numbers of PBPCs is not sufficient to restore T-cell immune competence and emphasize that specific approaches to enhance immune reconstitution are necessary if immune-based therapy is to be used to eradicate minimal residual disease after autologous PBPC transplantation.

To examine the mechanisms of CD4 reconstitution in an adult population, lymphocyte repopulation was assessed following dose-intense chemotherapy in 25 breast cancer patients, ages 33 to 69 years. Chemotherapy resulted in a greater than 60% reduction in total CD4 T cells and, in particular, a greater than 90% loss of the CD45RA+ CD4 cells. CD4 recovery was protracted, achieving less than 50% of pretreatment levels after 12 to 14 months. Two facets of the CD4 recovery were notable. First, generation of CD45RA+ CD4 cells played only a minor role in the first year, suggesting that thymic production was not the main route of CD4 regeneration. Indeed, recovery of CD45RA+ CD4 cell levels remained limited in half of the patients even after 2 years. Second, expansion of the mature peripheral CD4 cells (CD45RO+) remaining after chemotherapy was the main source of early CD4 repopulation, peaking at 3 to 6 months postchemotherapy. This expansion was limited in duration, however, and was followed by a secondary decline, such that the total CD45RO+ CD4 levels at 9 to 12 months were lower than at 6 months. When stimulated by mitogens, an increased susceptibility to apoptosis was observed in postchemotherapy CD4 cells as compared with those from normal donors. The elevated expression of markers such as HLA-DR during chemotherapy and for several months postchemotherapy is consistent with the presence of an activated T-cell population. CD4 apoptotic frequency correlated with the frequency of HLA-DR expression on T cells. Thus, CD4 recovery is constrained in adults by a limited thymic regenerative capacity and by an increased susceptibility to apoptosis within the expanding peripheral CD4 population.

Rapid recovery of CD4+ T cells after intensive chemotherapy is limited by an age-dependent decline in thymopoiesis. Here we sought to determine whether similar limitations exist for CD8+ T-cell regeneration. After intensive chemotherapy, CD8+ T cells had a faster effective doubling time than CD4+ T cells (median, 12.6 v 28.2 days, P < .05). Accordingly, at 3 months posttherapy, mean CD8+ T-cell number had returned to baseline, whereas mean CD4+ T-cell number was only 35% of pretherapy values (P < .05). These differences were primarily due to very rapid expansion of CD8+CD57+ and CD8+CD28− subsets. At 3 months posttherapy, there was no relationship between age and CD8+ T-cell number (R = −.02), whereas CD4+ T-cell number was inversely related to age (R = −.66) and there were no discernible differences in CD8+ recovery among patients with or without thymic enlargement, whereas CD4+ recovery was enhanced in patients with thymic enlargement after chemotherapy (P < .01). Therefore thymic-independent pathways of T-cell regeneration appear to rapidly regenerate substantial numbers of CD8+, but not CD4+ T cells, resulting in prolonged T-cell subset imbalance after T-cell depletion. These inherent distinctions between CD4+v CD8+ T-cell regeneration may have significant implications for immunotherapeutic strategies undertaken to eradicate minimal residual neoplastic disease after cytoreductive chemotherapy.

Rapid recovery of CD4+ T cells after intensive chemotherapy is limited by an age-dependent decline in thymopoiesis. Here we sought to determine whether similar limitations exist for CD8+ T-cell regeneration. After intensive chemotherapy, CD8+ T cells had a faster effective doubling time than CD4+ T cells (median, 12.6 v 28.2 days, P < .05). Accordingly, at 3 months posttherapy, mean CD8+ T-cell number had returned to baseline, whereas mean CD4+ T-cell number was only 35% of pretherapy values (P < .05). These differences were primarily due to very rapid expansion of CD8+CD57+ and CD8+CD28− subsets. At 3 months posttherapy, there was no relationship between age and CD8+ T-cell number (R = −.02), whereas CD4+ T-cell number was inversely related to age (R = −.66) and there were no discernible differences in CD8+ recovery among patients with or without thymic enlargement, whereas CD4+ recovery was enhanced in patients with thymic enlargement after chemotherapy (P < .01). Therefore thymic-independent pathways of T-cell regeneration appear to rapidly regenerate substantial numbers of CD8+, but not CD4+ T cells, resulting in prolonged T-cell subset imbalance after T-cell depletion. These inherent distinctions between CD4+v CD8+ T-cell regeneration may have significant implications for immunotherapeutic strategies undertaken to eradicate minimal residual neoplastic disease after cytoreductive chemotherapy.

Introduction: Neurocognitive deficits and neurologic toxicity are known complications of ALL therapy, and cumulative therapy may make those with multiply relapsed disease more vulnerable. Novel targeted immunotherapies, such as blinatumomab or anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptors (CARs), despite promising results, are associated with neurologic toxicity, potentially related to cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Neurologic symptoms may include encephalopathy, seizures, and aphasia, but subtle toxicity is not easily captured by current grading systems. On our anti-CD22 CAR trial (NCT02315612), we prospectively evaluated neurocognitive function, developed a CAR-specific neurological symptom checklist, and incorporated CNS imaging to comprehensively assess for CAR related neurotoxicity. We describe the results in the first 9 consecutively enrolled subjects. Methods: Children and young adults with relapsed/refractory CD22+ ALL enrolled on a phase I dose escalation study of anti-CD22 CAR therapy were evaluated for neurotoxicity pre (baseline) and post-therapy (day 21-28 following infusion). Neurocognitive assessment was performed by psychologists who administered a brief (48 hours) of symptoms, including fever, visual and auditory hallucinations, responsiveness to commands, disorientation, depressed mood, and pain. The caregiver was asked to complete the checklist at baseline and then at approximately 14 and 21-28 days post-infusion; occasionally if the caregiver was not available, the adult patient completed it. Additionally, subjects underwent standard disease evaluation, including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis at pre and post-therapy and a baseline brain MRI when feasible. Results: All 9 subjects, median age 20 years (range 7-22 years), had multiply relapsed ALL and had undergone at least one allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, with 8 receiving prior total body irradiation. All were classified as CNS1 at enrollment. Baseline brain MRI was normal in 6 of 7 subjects, with one noted to have slight volume loss for age. Six of 9 developed CRS and 4 attained a complete remission (Table). Follow-up CSF studies performed in 8 subjects demonstrated CNS1 disease with anti-CD22 CAR-T cells detected in the CSF of 5 subjects. Seven of 9 subjects completed the baseline and 1-month follow-up neurocognitive evaluations (one patient had significant disease progression and was unable to complete the follow-up testing; one declined the follow-up assessment). At the 1-month follow-up assessment, all patients with completed evaluations exhibited stable cognitive functioning in all domains; a few had improved test scores. Seven patients had neurological symptom checklists completed at all time points, and two had the follow-up checklists completed based on medical record notes. As rated on the checklist, the symptoms developing between 7-14 days after CAR-T cell infusion were new onset of fever (n=5), pain (n=3), visual hallucinations (n=1), mild unresponsiveness to commands (n=1), and mild disorientation (n=1). No CAR related seizures, aphasia or encephalopathy was observed, and most symptoms had returned back to baseline or were mostly resolved by 28 days. There was no correlation between degree of neurotoxicity and CAR-T cell presence in CSF. Conclusions: In contrast to more severe neurologic toxicity seen with CD19 targeted therapy, repeated cognitive testing and observer-reported outcomes identified only mild-to-moderate symptoms of neurotoxicity related to CD22 CAR T cells, which were self-limited-including in those who attained remission with circulating CAR cells in the CSF. These systematic prospective neurocognitive assessments were feasible and allowed us to identify subtle symptoms of this new therapy. Further evaluation with more patients and longer-term follow-up is ongoing. Disclosures Lee: Juno: Honoraria. Mackall:NCI: Patents & Royalties: B7H3 CAR.