Anti-CD7 CAR-Engineered T Cells for T Lymphoid Malignancies Malignancies

Chimeric antigen receptor-T cells (CAR-T) have made breakthroughs in the treatment of B-cell tumors, especially refractory/relapsed acute B lymphocytes. CD7 is a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed by T cells and natural killer cells and their precursors; it is also expressed in \>95% of lymphoblastic T-cell leukemias and lymphomas . CD7 was previously evaluated as a target for immunotoxin-loaded antibodies in patients with T-cell malignancies, but tumor responses were limited. Enhancing the potency of CD7-directed cytotoxicity by substituting donor-derived CAR-T cells for a monoclonal antibody would augment the efficacy of CD7-targeted therapy in patients with T-cell malignancies. To prepare CAR7-T cells, CD7 expression is suppressed on donor-derived T cells by unique blocking technique, and CD7-negative T cells are transduced with a humanized anti-CD7-41BB-CD3ζ lentiviral vector. This is an investigational study. The objectives are to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CAR7-T cells in patients with CD7+ T-cell malignancies.