pembrolizumab + CAR T-cell therapy

This combination therapy regimen involves the administration of the PD-1 inhibitor pembrolizumab in conjunction with standard-of-care CD19-directed CAR T-cell therapy (specifically axicabtagene ciloleucel or lisocabtagene maraleucel). The regimen is currently being evaluated in a Phase II clinical trial (Trial 23-179) led by Dr. Jennifer Crombie at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The study targets patients with relapsed or refractory primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL), EBV+ diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), or T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphoma (THRLBCL). The rationale for the combination is that pembrolizumab may prevent T-cell exhaustion and enhance the persistence and antitumor activity of the engineered CAR T-cells by blocking the PD-1/PD-L1 immune checkpoint pathway.

Other names

CAR T-cell therapy-Jennifer Crombie, MD-primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma-diffuse large B-cell lymphoma-T-cell/histiocyte-rich large B-cell lymphomaPembrolizumab and CAR T-cell Therapy in Relapsed/Refractory PMBCLPembrolizumab in Combination With Chimeric Antigen Receptor Therapy in Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Primary Mediastinal B-cell Lymphoma