Dr. Smith on Ongoing Research in Relapsed/Refractory MCL

Sonali M. Smith, MD, Elwood V. Jensen Professor in Medicine, interim chief, Section of Hematology/Oncology, director, Lymphoma Program, University of Chicago Medicine, discusses ongoing research in relapsed/refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).

Despite the introduction of BTK inhibitors, relapsed/refractory MCL remains incurable and is associated with poor survival, says Smith.

CAR T-cell therapy is an area of active research that appears promising, says Smith. Although the data sets are relatively small, CAR T-cell therapy could offer a different way of treating patients with MCL compared with traditional chemotherapy. The modality could also lead to better disease control, explains Smith.

Additionally, combinations of BCL-2 inhibitors with BTK inhibitors are also being investigated in the relapsed/refractory setting, concludes Smith.