Unleashing the therapeutic potential of the lymphoma microenvironment to improve bispecific antibody and chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapies in B cell lymphoma

Bispecific antibody (BsAb) and chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell therapies have revolutionized cancer treatment. In patients with relapsed and/or refractory (r/r) B cell lymphoma, CD20xCD3 BsAbs and CD19-CAR T cells have demonstrated remarkable responses, leading to approvals by the FDA and EMA. However, the majority of CAR T cell- and BsAb-treated B cell lymphoma patients do not achieve durable long-term remissions and ultimately succumb to their disease. To date, the role of the lymphoma microenvironment (LME) in impairing BsAb- or CAR T cell-mediated anti-lymphoma immunity, as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms contributing to therapy resistance and failure, remains not fully understood and warrants further investigation. Herein, we aim to unravel the immunosuppressive capacity of the LME, with a particular focus on myeloid-monocytic cells, which present a promising therapeutic target in combination with CAR T cells and BsAbs. Our ultimate goal is to identify novel strategies that enhance therapy responses in r/r B cell lymphoma patients.

https://innere1.uk-koeln.de/forschung/arbeitsgruppen-labore/krebstherapie-und-molekulare-bildgebung/