由 piggyBac 转座子系统生成的 EGFR 特异性 CAR-T 细胞在晚期复发/难治性非小细胞肺癌患者中的 I 期临床试验

This phase I clinical trial is designed to assess the safety and feasibility of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell generated by the piggyBac transposon system in advanced relapsed/refractory non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Compared to viral systems, the piggyBac transposon system is a simpler, more economical, and alternative way to introduce chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) transgenes into T cells.

This study recruited nine patients with advanced relapsed/refractory EGFR-positive NSCLC for two cycles of the piggyBac-generated EGFR-CAR T cells at dose of 1 10 6 cells/kg or 3 10 6 cells/kg of body weight. The patients were monitored for adverse events, clinical response, and persistence of plasma GFR-CAR T cells.

Infusions of piggyBac-generated EGFR-CAR T cells were well tolerated in all nine patients. The most common adverse events were grade 1 to 3 fever and there were no patients who experienced grade 4 adverse events or serious cytokine release syndrome. After treatment, eight of nine patients showed detectable EGFR-CAR T cells in their peripheral blood. One patient showed a partial response and lasted for more than 13 months, while six had stable disease, and two had progressed disease. The progression-free survival of these nine patients was 7.13 months (95% CI 2.71-17.10 months), while the median overall survival was 15.63 months (95% CI 8.82-22.03 months).

This Phase I clinical trial revealed that the non-viral piggyBac transposon system-engineered EGFR-CAR T-cell therapy is feasible and safe in treatment of EGFR-positive advanced relapsed/refractory NSCLC patients. Future study will assess it in more patients or even possibly with a higher dose. Trial registration number NCT03182816.