Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42332219›Full record

SynthesisBone marrow transplantation2026

Bendamustine-based lymphodepletion prior to CAR T-cell therapy: a systematic review.

Mostafa F Mohammed Saleh, Ahmed Abdrabou, Ahmed Alnughmush, Syed Osman Ahmed, Mahmoud Aljurf, Riad El Fakih

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Bone marrow transplantation, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Mostafa F Mohammed SalehKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8123-8405
Ahmed AbdrabouKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ahmed AlnughmushKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Syed Osman AhmedKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Mahmoud AljurfKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3942-7370
Riad El FakihKing Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. riadfakih@hotmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4498-3865

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Lymphodepletion (LD) is a critical prerequisite for successful chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy. While fludarabine and cyclophosphamide (Flu/Cy) remain the standard LD regimen, bendamustine has emerged as a potential alternative due to its distinct immunomodulatory properties and more favorable toxicity profile. This systematic review evaluates the safety, efficacy, and feasibility of bendamustine-based LD in patients undergoing CAR-T therapy for hematologic malignancies. A comprehensive literature search was conducted through January 2026 across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and clinical trial registries. Studies were eligible if they reported clinical outcomes following bendamustine-based lymphodepletion prior to CD19-, CD30-, or BCMA-directed CAR-T therapy. Extracted endpoints included overall response rate (ORR), complete response rate (CRR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and treatment-related toxicities. Eighteen studies comprising over 1400 patients were included. Across disease indications-including B- and T-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma (HL), and multiple myeloma (MM)-ORRs ranged from 50% to 88%, with CRRs up to 74%. Compared with Flu/Cy, bendamustine-based LD demonstrated comparable efficacy while being associated with significantly lower rates of cytokine release syndrome (CRS), immune effector cell-associated neurotoxicity syndrome (ICANS), and grade ≥3 cytopenias. Additionally, bendamustine facilitated outpatient CAR-T delivery, with reduced hospitalization and intensive care unit (ICU) utilization. However, prior exposure to bendamustine before leukapheresis was associated with inferior CAR-T outcomes. Bendamustine-based LD represents a safe and effective alternative to Flu/Cy, particularly in outpatient settings and in patients at higher risk of treatment-related toxicity. However, the current evidence is largely derived from retrospective and non-randomized studies. Prospective, comparative trials are warranted to validate these findings and to better define the optimal LD strategy across disease types and CAR-T platforms.

Indexed as

Bendamustine HydrochlorideHematologic NeoplasmsImmunotherapy, AdoptiveLymphocyte DepletionHumansBendamustine Hydrochloride

Identifiers

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.