In-depth investigation of patient immune signature after CD19 CAR T-cell therapy

CAR T-cell therapy has recently emerged as a novel important therapeutic
tool in patients with advanced B cell malignancies. This treatment is targeting
specifically the CD19 expression on B lymphocytes and has shown
remarkable efficacy even in patients with relapsed / refractory disease. While
showing promising results, there is to date, very little known on the immune
mechanism supporting long-term response. Using new systems-level
technologies (including advanced flow cytometry and single-cell RNA
sequencing) we aim at exploring in-depth the immune landscape of patients
receiving CAR T-cell therapy. Applying a machine learning approach, we
intend to determine the immunological basis of CAR T-cell persistence. This
mechanistic understanding of immune responses has the potential to be later
translated into prognosis prediction of which individuals will show efficacious
responses and which are more likely to relapse.