# Project 3: Combinatorial and gene-editing approaches to enhance the efficacy of CAR T cell therapy of multiple myeloma.

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA · 2021 · $567,040

## Abstract

SUMMARY (PROJECT 3)
Recent therapeutic advances have led to incremental improvement in response rates and survival in multiple
myeloma. Unfortunately, the disease remains mostly incurable. Anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor redirected
T cells have been particularly successful in other B-cell malignancies; CD19 is rarely expressed on the
malignant plasma cell, though CD19 may be present on rare putative myeloma precursor cells. The B Cell
Maturation Antigen, BCMA, is commonly present on neoplastic plasma cells but may not be on the earliest
precursors or resistant clones. In patients with advanced multiple myeloma we have observed potent anti-
myeloma responses with CAR T cells directed against BCMA (BCMA-CAR) and prolonged responses after
CTL019. The depth and durability of these responses are promising, but have varied, and not all patients have
had clinical benefit. Treatment failures have been observed in CD19 expressing malignancies such as ALL,
CLL and NHL and a number of resistance mechanisms have been observed. In this Project we seek to
determine the particular resistance mechanisms that limit CAR T cell therapy for myeloma and develop
strategies to overcome them. This will be accomplished in three specific aims. In Aim 1 the frequency and
functional clonogenicity of clonotypic B cells will be determined from samples derived from patients treated with
CTL019 and BCMA-CAR and correlated with clinical outcome. In Aim 2, we seek to target both early
precursors and more differentiated malignant cells to completely eliminate the malignant clone. The feasibility
and safety of combining CTL019 and BCMA-CAR will be tested in a clinical trial of patients with advanced
myeloma. The degree of depletion of malignant clones and comparison of these clinical results to monotherapy
will be assessed. The combined results of Aim 1 and 2 will guide future trials of dual-CAR therapy. In Aim 3 we
seek to invent a better anti-myeloma CAR T cell. Detailed immunophenotyping and functional assays of CAR T
cells and the tumor environment from samples derived from patients treated on the CAR T trials will be made.
These studies will guide the construction of new BCMA-CARs that utilize CRISPR gene-editing to knock-out
the most relevant immune checkpoint molecules. This research will be significant because it is aimed at
eliminating the myeloma cell of origin and be potentially curative. The innovation of the proposed research lies
not just in targeting an antigen commonly on the tumor cell (BCMA) but in addition targeting a second antigen
(CD19) on the malignant precursors. The knowledge gained by this project will advance the cellular
immunotherapy field.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10245065
- **Project number:** 5P01CA214278-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- **Principal Investigator:** Edward A Stadtmauer
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $567,040
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-08-15 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10245065

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10245065, Project 3: Combinatorial and gene-editing approaches to enhance the efficacy of CAR T cell therapy of multiple myeloma. (5P01CA214278-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10245065. Licensed CC0.

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