Axicabtagene ciloleucel (YESCARTA; Kite Pharma, a Gilead Company, Los Angeles CA) and tisagenlecleucel (KYM-RIAH; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp., Basel, Switzerland) are two CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell products currently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration; the European Medicines Agency; Health Canada; Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (Japan); and Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia) for treatment of specific subtypes of relapsed/refractory aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Although this approval has been transformative in the use of cellular immunotherapy in lymphoma, there are concerns regarding appropriate use of this novel therapy and of short-and long-term toxicities. To address these issues, representatives of the American Society of Transplantation and Cellular Therapy convened to recognize and address key issues surrounding the clinical application of CD19 CAR T cell therapy in B cell lymphomas, in collaboration with worldwide experts. The aim of this article is to provide consensus opinion from experts in the fields of hematopoietic cell transplantation, cellular immunotherapy, and lymphoma regarding key clinical questions pertinent to the use of CD19 CAR T cell products for the treatment of NHL. As the clinical practice using CAR T cells grows worldwide, we anticipate that this guidance will be relevant for hematology/oncology physicians who care for patients with lymphomas.

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ImportanceDespite evidence demonstrating an overall survival benefit with up-front hormone therapy in addition to established synergy between hormone therapy and radiation, the addition of metastasis-directed therapy (MDT) to hormone therapy for oligometastatic prostate cancer, to date, has not been evaluated in a randomized clinical trial.ObjectiveTo determine in men with oligometastatic prostate cancer whether the addition of MDT to intermittent hormone therapy improves oncologic outcomes and preserves time with eugonadal testosterone compared with intermittent hormone therapy alone.Design, Setting, ParticipantsThe External Beam Radiation to Eliminate Nominal Metastatic Disease (EXTEND) trial is a phase 2, basket randomized clinical trial for multiple solid tumors testing the addition of MDT to standard-of-care systemic therapy. Men aged 18 years or older with oligometastatic prostate cancer who had 5 or fewer metastases and were treated with hormone therapy for 2 or more months were enrolled to the prostate intermittent hormone therapy basket at multicenter tertiary cancer centers from September 2018 to November 2020. The cutoff date for the primary analysis was January 7, 2022.InterventionsPatients were randomized 1:1 to MDT, consisting of definitive radiation therapy to all sites of disease and intermittent hormone therapy (combined therapy arm; n = 43) or to hormone therapy only (n = 44). A planned break in hormone therapy occurred 6 months after enrollment, after which hormone therapy was withheld until progression.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary end point was disease progression, defined as death or radiographic, clinical, or biochemical progression. A key predefined secondary end point was eugonadal progression-free survival (PFS), defined as the time from achieving a eugonadal testosterone level (≥150 ng/dL; to convert to nanomoles per liter, multiply by 0.0347) until progression. Exploratory measures included quality of life and systemic immune evaluation using flow cytometry and T-cell receptor sequencing.ResultsThe study included 87 men (median age, 67 years [IQR, 63-72 years]). Median follow-up was 22.0 months (range, 11.6-39.2 months). Progression-free survival was improved in the combined therapy arm (median not reached) compared with the hormone therapy only arm (median, 15.8 months; 95% CI, 13.6-21.2 months) (hazard ratio, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.12-0.55; P < .001). Eugonadal PFS was also improved with MDT (median not reached) compared with the hormone therapy only (6.1 months; 95% CI, 3.7 months to not estimable) (hazard ratio, 0.32; 95% CI, 0.11-0.91; P = .03). Flow cytometry and T-cell receptor sequencing demonstrated increased markers of T-cell activation, proliferation, and clonal expansion limited to the combined therapy arm.Conclusions and RelevanceIn this randomized clinical trial, PFS and eugonadal PFS were significantly improved with combination treatment compared with hormone treatment only in men with oligometastatic prostate cancer. Combination of MDT with intermittent hormone therapy may allow for excellent disease control while facilitating prolonged eugonadal testosterone intervals.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03599765

Abnormalities in cerebral glucose metabolism have been demonstrated in patients with AIDS dementia complex (ADC), with increased consumption in early disease and decreased utilization in late stages. The basis of these changes is unknown. Accordingly, a pilot study was undertaken to determine whether levels of cerebral glucose transporters GLUT1 and GLUT3 were altered by HIV disease. Frontal gray and white matter membrane preparations from patients with HIV encephalitis (HIVE), HIV infection without parenchymal neuropathology, and non-infected controls were utilized in quantitative immunoblots to measure GLUT1 and GLUT3. Results were expressed as a ratio of glucose transporter to structural protein actin. Within-group patient variability was great, precluding statistically significant differences between groups for any one brain region. However, when data for gray and white matter was pooled, results obtained statistical significance, with levels of GLUT1 increasing in HIV infection without neuropathology, and declining with HIVE. Increased GLUT1 in HIV infection without parenchymal neuropathology may be important in the biology of increased glucose consumption described with early ADC. With progression to HIVE, reduced levels of glucose transporters may contribute to late stage hypometabolism.