A non-antibiotic-disrupted gut microbiome is associated with clinical responses to CD19-CAR-T cell cancer immunotherapy

In an effort to better understand the microbiome’s relationship with CAR T-cell therapy efficacy, researchers analyzed the microbiomes of 172 patients with relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Those patients who received broad-spectrum antibiotics prior to CAR T-cell infusion had less microbiome diversity, decreased therapeutic response, and poorer outcomes compared with those patients who did not receive a strong, broad-spectrum antibiotic. The researchers noted that the outcomes also could have been a result of an increased tumor burden for patients who received antibiotics and more suppressed immune systems. Other factors could have affected microbiome diversity including the patient’s country of residence and general health before treatment.