Luis C Ascanio, MD

Researchers at Mount Sinai have identified biological mechanisms that may explain why some patients develop a CAR-T cell-associated enterocolitis, a serious inflammatory condition of the intestine, after receiving CAR-T cell therapy for multiple myeloma. Published in @NatureMedicine, the study found that CAR-T cells can persist in the intestinal tissue long after treatment, and that patients who develop enterocolitis experience widespread changes in the immune system within the gut. The researchers also identified inflammatory pathways that may offer potential treatment targets, including JAK inhibitors. Notably, two patients who received upadacitinib, a medication that blocks JAK1, experienced improvements in symptoms and intestinal inflammation. "Our research provides the first detailed map of what happens in the intestine in patients who develop CAR-T-associated enterocolitis and identifies biological pathways that may be targeted therapeutically," said corresponding author Saurabh Mehandru, MD. "As we use these therapies in more patients and earlier in the course of disease, it is increasingly important to understand and manage the complications that can occur," said co-supervisor Samir Parekh, MD. Learn more: mshs.co/4yWGBUw @DOMSinaiNYC @MountSinaiGI #MultipleMyeloma #CancerResearch #Research #Gastroenterology