Multiple myeloma (MM) is a malignant plasma cell disorder that remains incurable for most patients despite significant improvements achieved with modern therapy. Tumor evasion is a key process in the pathogenesis of MM and a compromised immune system is associated with more aggressive forms of the disease. In contrast, the emergence of myeloma-specific immune responses after both autologous and allogeneic stem cell transplantation is associated with better prognosis. Adoptive T cell therapies may improve specific anti-myeloma immunity resulting in long-lasting remissions. CAR T cell therapies for MM are at an early stage of clinical development. To date, anti-BCMA CAR T cells have shown the greatest results in early-phase clinical trials. Toxicities have included cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and neurotoxicity. Current areas of research in CAR T cell therapies include the use of gene-editing to enhance their effectiveness and safety, the integration of CAR T cells with other therapies (immunomodulatory drugs, checkpoint inhibitors) and CAR T cells to target multiple antigens.
© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.