Efficacy and Safety of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Therapy Combined with Zanubrutinib in the Treatment of Relapsed/Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Authors: Wang Langqi , Yang Jilong , Jin Bo , Wang Bo , Zhou Lijuan , Zhuo Yaqi , Chen Huifang , Chang Lung-Ji , Tu Sanfang , Li Yuhua 
Published: December 2023

Background: While complete response rate of CD19 CAR-T in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) reached 40-60%, about 30%-50% of patients still face relapse, strategies that can enhance the therapeutic effects of CAR-T cells infusion should be actively explored. Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) is an essential component of multiple signaling pathways including B-cell receptor signaling that regulate B cell proliferation, survival, and functions. These receptor signaling has been implicated in the survival of malignant B-cells making it a promising therapeutic target for various B-cell malignancies and inflammatory diseases. Different types of BTKi regulate T cell and B cell function through different signal pathways. Research has proved that CD19 CAR-T Cells in combination with ibrutinib for the treatment of relapsed/refractory aggressive B-cell lymphomas shows a high response rate and low level of adverse events, while zanubrutinib has not been reported. Therefore, our center explored the efficacy and safety of CD19 CAR-T Cells in combination with zanubrutinib for the strategy of relapsed/refractory DLBCL.

Patients and Methods: The study included 6 r/r DLBCL patients, 4 patients have previously received 3-line or above treatment, and 2 patients began CAR-T treatment after 1-line chemotherapy. All patients received fludarabine (FLU) and cyclophosphamide (CTX) conditioning chemotherapy (FLU 30mg/m 2. d1-3; CTX 500mg/m 2, d1-3) before CAR-T infusions. T cells were apheresis collected and transduced with a lentiviral CD19 scFv CAR fused with intracellular signaling domains: CD28/CD27/CD3z-iCasp9. CAR-T cells were infused at dose of 2.0x10 6 cells/kg. The quality of apheresis cells, gene transfer and T cell proliferation efficiencies, and effective CAR-T infusion dose were quantitatively scored and documented. All patients began to combine with zanubrutinib after one month of CAR-T cells infusion.

Results: After one month of CAR-T cells infusion, total of 50% (3/6) of patients achieved complete response (CR), while 50%(3/6) of patients were evaluated as partial response (PR), with an overall response rate (ORR) of 100%. Within 6 months after combined with zanubrutinib, all patients of PR achieved CR. In the evaluation of safety, 83% (5/6) of patients occurred grade 2 cytokine release syndrome (CRS), and 33.3% (2/6) patient occurred grade 1 immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), no case of severe CRS defined as≥grade 3 occurred, 66.7% (4/6) of patients occurred grade 2 hematotoxicity and 33.3% (2/6) of patients occurred grade 4 hematotoxicity. After a median follow-up of 19.5 months, 6 patients maintained CR, with an duration of response (DOR) of 100%, median DFS and OS were not reached. All patients can be detected CAR-T cells sustain in peripheral blood mononuclear cells continuously until last follow-up date(Fig.2). Continued follow-up will confirm whether the CAR-T cells therapy combined with zanubrutinib can obtain long term overall survival in these study.

Conclusions: Our study proved that CD19 CAR-T Cells combined with zanubrutinib for the strategy of relapsed/refractory DLBCL and as maintenance treatment showed strong efficacy with acceptable toxicity, the current results already support that zanubrutinib in the treatment of r/r DLBCL is expected to reduce the risk of relapsed, thereby prolonging the disease-free survival of patients, without increasing the incidence of adverse effects. More follow-up and clinical trials are needed to clarify the efficacy of Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cells Therapy combined with zanubrutinib in the treatment of r/r DLBCL.