Vaccine-induced T-cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 and its Omicron variant in patients with B cell–depleted lymphoma after CART therapy
Djordje Atanackovic, Tim Luetkens, Destiny Omili, Thierry Iraguha, Forat Lutfi, Nancy M. Hardy, Xiaoxuan Fan, Stephanie V. Avila, Kapil Saharia, Jennifer Husson, Silke V. Niederhaus, Philip Margiotta, Seung Tae Lee, Jennie Y. Law, Heather D. Mannuel, Erica R. Vander Mause, Sherri Bauman, Patricia Lesho, Kim G. Hankey, John W. Baddley, Mehmet H. Kocoglu, Jean A. Yared, Aaron P. Rapoport, Saurabh Dahiya
Abstract
Patients receiving CD19 CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed/refractory lymphoma experience prolonged and profound B-cell aplasia and hypogammaglobulinemia, placing them at a higher risk for severe COVID-19. Independently, Oh et al and Atanackovic et al demonstrate that despite attenuated humoral response to mRNA-based vaccines, patients demonstrate normal or heightened functional T-cell responses, including antiviral T-cell activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicron. Collectively, these data reinforce the importance of COVID-19 vaccination following CD19 CAR T-cell therapy, despite long-term B-cell aplasia.