Exploring the efficacy and safety of anti-BCMA chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for multiple myeloma: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Multiple myeloma (MM) is a bone marrow cancer that profoundly affects plasma cells involved in the immune response. Myeloma cells alter the average production of cells in the bone marrow. Anti-B-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy allows genetic modifications of an individual's T-cells to increase the expression of CARs used to identify and attach BCMA proteins to the malignant cells. Our main objective is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the efficacy and safety of anti-BCMA CAR T-cell therapy for MM.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We searched five databases, PubMed, CNKI, EMBASE, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CNKI, for studies published on anti-BCMA,CAR-T-cell treatment for MM. Inclusion criteria involved prospective single-arm studies either single or multi-center, in various MM phases and studies that reported anti-BCMA,CAR-T-cell treatment for MM. We excluded non-English publications and conference papers. All statistical analyses were performed in R software and Review Manager 5.4.1.

RESULTS: Thirteen articles were included in the analysis. We found that the overall response survival complete response increase was statistically significant. Similarly, the reduction in cytokine release syndrome grades 3 and 4 and neurotoxicity after follow-up was statistically significant. However, the reduction in minimal residual disease negativity (MRDN) was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION: Using anti-BCMA CAR T-cell therapy in MM was highly efficacious and safe in lowering the adverse outcomes and improving the survival outcomes, complete response, and overall response.