GD2-CART01 for Relapsed or Refractory High-Risk Neuroblastoma

To the Editor: Del Bufalo et al. (April 6 issue)(1) describe the treatment of patients with relapsed or refractory pediatric neuroblastoma with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-expressing T cells that target the disialoganglioside GD2 and express the inducible capsase 9 suicide gene (GD2-CART01). Among the children who had a relapse after this treatment, the authors did not observe reexpansion of T cells, and the GD2 antigen was still expressed on tumor cells. We were surprised by the surface-marker analysis of the GD2-CAR T cells that led the authors to conclude that these cells were not exhausted. The data show that the . . .

Automated summary

Del Bufalo et al. describe a treatment using GD2-CART01 T cells that target GD2 and express a suicide gene for patients with relapsed or refractory pediatric neuroblastoma. Although this treatment suppresses tumor growth, T cell reexpansion and tumor GD2 expression were not observed in relapsed patients.