19 January 2024 | Fumou Sun, Yan Cheng, Visanu Wanchai, Wancheng Guo, David Mery, Hongwei Xu, Dongzheng Gai, Eric Siegel, Clyde Bailey, Cody Ashby, Samer Al Hadidi, Carolina Schinke, Sharmilan Thanendraraian, Yupo Ma, Qing Yi, Robert Z. Orlowski, Maurizio Zangari, Frits van Rhee, Siegfried Janz, Gail Bishop, Guido Tricot, John D. Shaughnessy Jr, Fenghuang Zhan
This study explores the development and efficacy of bispecific BCMA/CD24 CAR-T cells in treating multiple myeloma (MM). Anti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapies have shown high response rates but are often followed by relapse due to the presence of minimal residual myeloma cells. These residual cells often exhibit stem-like features and express CD24, a checkpoint molecule that inhibits macrophage phagocytic clearance. The study generates CD24-CAR-T cells to target and eliminate these residual myeloma cells by blocking the CD24-Siglec-10 pathway, enhancing macrophage phagocytic activity. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that CD24-CAR-T cells effectively reduce MM cell burden, promote macrophage polarization towards an M1-like phenotype, and improve survival in a mouse model of MM. Bispecific BCMA-CD24-CAR-T cells, which target both BCMA and CD24, further enhance cytolytic activity and survival in vivo. This work presents a promising immunotherapeutic approach to target MM cells and promote tumor cell clearance by macrophages, offering a potential solution to the issue of durable cures following BCMA-CAR-T therapy.This study explores the development and efficacy of bispecific BCMA/CD24 CAR-T cells in treating multiple myeloma (MM). Anti-BCMA CAR-T cell therapies have shown high response rates but are often followed by relapse due to the presence of minimal residual myeloma cells. These residual cells often exhibit stem-like features and express CD24, a checkpoint molecule that inhibits macrophage phagocytic clearance. The study generates CD24-CAR-T cells to target and eliminate these residual myeloma cells by blocking the CD24-Siglec-10 pathway, enhancing macrophage phagocytic activity. In vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate that CD24-CAR-T cells effectively reduce MM cell burden, promote macrophage polarization towards an M1-like phenotype, and improve survival in a mouse model of MM. Bispecific BCMA-CD24-CAR-T cells, which target both BCMA and CD24, further enhance cytolytic activity and survival in vivo. This work presents a promising immunotherapeutic approach to target MM cells and promote tumor cell clearance by macrophages, offering a potential solution to the issue of durable cures following BCMA-CAR-T therapy.