Benefits of a continuous therapy for cancer patients with a novel adoptive cell therapy by cascade priming (CAPRI)

Efficacy of cascade-primed cell infusion as an adjuvant immunotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy for patients with non-small-cell lung cancer: A retrospective observational study with a 5-year follow-up

BACKGROUND

Clinical studies have shown the efficacy of combination therapy for various malignancies. In this study, the characteristics, safety and feasibility of use of cascade-primed (CAPRI) cells for the combination treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were evaluated both in vitro and in vivo.

METHODS

Sixty-five patients with stage II-IV NSCLC were recruited. Of these patients, 31 patients received CAPRI cell therapy combined with chemotherapy (CAPRI group), and the other 34 patients constituted the control group and received chemotherapy alone. This study primarily aimed to evaluate the overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), short-term responses and treatment efficacy.

RESULTS

CD83, CD1a, CD80 and CD86 marker levels were significantly upregulated in CAPRI cells. Interferon-γ expression levels were highest in CD3⁺CD8⁺ cells (33.77% ± 4.40%). Furthermore, interleukin-2 levels were highest in CD3⁺CD56⁺ cells (26.73% ± 6.63%), whereas perforin expression levels were similar in CD3⁺CD8⁺ and CD3⁺CD56⁺ cells. Furthermore, CAPRI cells had a better anti-tumor potential in CD3⁺CD56⁺ cells and displayed the highest expression levels of CD107a to H460 and A549 cell lines. The 5-year OS was significantly greater in the CAPRI group than in the control group (P = 0.008), and the PFS of two groups exhibited a significant difference (P = 0.007). Median OS (48 versus 31.6 months; P = 0.004) and PFS (48 versus 36.4 months; P = 0.016) differed between these two groups. Moreover, treatment-associated toxicities were mild and well-tolerated by patients with NSCLC.

CONCLUSION

CAPRI cell therapy potentially prolongs the survival of patients with NSCLC when combined with chemotherapy.

The progress and current status of immunotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia

Recently, there has been remarkable progress in basic and preclinical studies of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The improved outcomes of AML can largely be attributed to advances in supportive care and hematopoietic cell transplantation as opposed to conventional chemotherapy. However, as the 5-year survival rate remains low due to a high incidence of relapse, novel and effective treatments are urgently needed. Increasing attention is focusing on identifying suitable immunotherapeutic strategies for AML. Here, we describe the immunological features, mechanisms of immune escape, and recent progress in immunotherapy for AML. Problems encountered in the clinic will also be discussed. Although current outcomes may be limited, ongoing preclinical or clinical efforts are aimed at improving immunotherapy modalities and designing novel therapies, such as vaccines, monoclonal antibody therapy, chimeric antibody receptor-engineered T cells (CAR-T), TCR-engineered T cells (TCR-T), and checkpoint inhibitors, which may provide promising and effective therapies with higher specificity and efficacy for AML.

Improved cognitive and memory abilities in a patient with Alzheimer's disease treated with activated immune cells: Immune cell therapy may benefit more AD patients

So far, the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has not been clarified, nor has patient therapy been satisfactory. Although inheritance dominates the less frequent early-onset AD in young and middle-aged individuals, environmental and immunogenetic factors have been identified in the most frequently occurring late-onset AD of higher-aged individuals, comprising 90% of AD patients. Thorough investigations have detected a prevalence of certain microbes which are known to affect brain activities in the brains of AD patients. This microbial prevalence suggests failing immune responses by immune gene variants against specific microbes. In fact, some immune gene variants have been detected significantly more often in AD patients. Failing immune responses can be corrected by activating immune cells outside the body ("in vitro") for the subsequent therapeutical injections. Activated immune cells digest and present microbial peptides better and differentiate naïve/resting immune cells to powerful effector cells, which can be used for therapy. The patient's activated immune cells can pass the blood-brain barrier and overcome chronic infections in the brain. Furthermore, activated immune cells can secrete a series of neurotrophins for the restoration of neuronal circuits. Based on the encouraging results of immunotherapy in a patient with late-onset AD, we hypothesize that therapy with the patient's activated immune cells would safely benefit many AD patients.