News Brief
Promising Cell Therapy for Relapsed/Refractory T-Cell Lymphomas
February 3, 2025

The lack of effective treatments for relapsed or refractory T-cell lymphomas has meant poor survival rates for patients. Research has suggested that allogenic CAR T-cell therapy targeting CD70, a cell-surface protein overexpressed in T-cell lymphomas, could be a promising approach.
In a study published online on November 28, 2024, in The Lancet Oncology, Roberto Alejandro Sica, M.D., and colleagues report the results of the first clinical trial to evaluate this therapy. In the phase 1 trial, conducted at centers in the United States, Australia, and Canada, the CAR T-cell therapy, known as CTX130, was administered to 39 people previously treated for T-cell lymphomas. Forty six percent of patients responded to the therapy, with 6 achieving complete responses, and with higher doses yielding better response rates. A variety of serious but manageable side effects occurred. The results show that this type of CAR T-cell therapy is safe and effective for a subset of patients with T-cell lymphomas. A newer-generation CAR T-cell therapy, called CTX131, is now being studied at several medical centers including Montefiore Medical Center.
Dr. Sica is an assistant professor of oncology and of medicine at Einstein and a member of the National Cancer Institute–designated Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center.