BACKGROUND: The profound immunodeficiency associated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is permissive to uncontrolled replication of latent human herpesviridae such as cytomegalovirus. Morbidity and mortality associated with viral dissemination or its treatment are significant. Although adoptive cellular therapy with virus-specific T cells offers the potential for accelerating pathogen-specific immune reconstitution, the risk of induction of graft-versus-host disease and the logistics of production of clonal T cell populations restrict application. METHODS: We investigated the ability of cytomegalovirus-specific mixed CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell lines, generated by short-term ex vivo culture of donor lymphocytes with donor monocyte-derived dendritic cells pulsed with virus lysate, to restore antiviral immunity in 30 allogeneic transplant recipients at high risk of both uncontrolled viral replication and of graft-versus-host disease. RESULTS: There were no immediate toxicities and no excess of graft-versus-host disease. Massive in vivo expansions of cytomegalovirus-specific T lymphocytes occurred, temporally associating with periods of viral replication, suggesting that antigen exposure was necessary for optimal cytomegalovirus-specific immune reconstitution. The expanding populations maintained functional competence in ex vivo re-stimulation assays, promoting reconstitution of durable functional cytomegalovirus-specific immunity and effectively preventing recurrent viral infection and late cytomegalovirus disease. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm the ability of cellular immunotherapy to hasten reconstitution of antiviral immunity following allogeneic transplantation, indicating that significant clinical benefits may be conferred in terms of reduction of secondary viral infection episodes, potentially reducing exposure to the toxicities of antiviral drugs.
BACKGROUND: The profound immunodeficiency associated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is permissive to uncontrolled replication of latent human herpesviridae such as cytomegalovirus. Morbidity and mortality associated with viral dissemination or its treatment are significant. Although adoptive cellular therapy with virus-specific T cells offers the potential for accelerating pathogen-specific immune reconstitution, the risk of induction of graft-versus-host disease and the logistics of production of clonal T cell populations restrict application. METHODS: We investigated the ability of cytomegalovirus-specific mixed CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cell lines, generated by short-term ex vivo culture of donor lymphocytes with donor monocyte-derived dendritic cells pulsed with virus lysate, to restore antiviral immunity in 30 allogeneic transplant recipients at high risk of both uncontrolled viral replication and of graft-versus-host disease. RESULTS: There were no immediate toxicities and no excess of graft-versus-host disease. Massive in vivo expansions of cytomegalovirus-specific T lymphocytes occurred, temporally associating with periods of viral replication, suggesting that antigen exposure was necessary for optimal cytomegalovirus-specific immune reconstitution. The expanding populations maintained functional competence in ex vivo re-stimulation assays, promoting reconstitution of durable functional cytomegalovirus-specific immunity and effectively preventing recurrent viral infection and late cytomegalovirus disease. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm the ability of cellular immunotherapy to hasten reconstitution of antiviral immunity following allogeneic transplantation, indicating that significant clinical benefits may be conferred in terms of reduction of secondary viral infection episodes, potentially reducing exposure to the toxicities of antiviral drugs.
Authors: J D M Campbell; A Foerster; V Lasmanowicz; M Niemöller; A Scheffold; M Fahrendorff; G Rauser; M Assenmacher; A Richter Journal: Clin Exp Immunol Date: 2010-10-21 Impact factor: 4.330
Authors: M Neuenhahn; J Albrecht; M Odendahl; F Schlott; G Dössinger; M Schiemann; S Lakshmipathi; K Martin; D Bunjes; S Harsdorf; E M Weissinger; H Menzel; M Verbeek; L Uharek; N Kröger; E Wagner; G Kobbe; T Schroeder; M Schmitt; G Held; W Herr; L Germeroth; H Bonig; T Tonn; H Einsele; D H Busch; G U Grigoleit Journal: Leukemia Date: 2017-01-16 Impact factor: 11.528
Authors: Barbara Withers; Emily Blyth; Leighton E Clancy; Agnes Yong; Chris Fraser; Jane Burgess; Renee Simms; Rebecca Brown; David Kliman; Ming-Celine Dubosq; David Bishop; Gaurav Sutrave; Chun Kei Kris Ma; Peter J Shaw; Kenneth P Micklethwaite; David J Gottlieb Journal: Blood Adv Date: 2017-11-02
Authors: Gloria Castellano-González; Helen M McGuire; Fabio Luciani; Leighton E Clancy; Ziduo Li; Selmir Avdic; Brendan Hughes; Mandeep Singh; Barbara Fazekas de St Groth; Giorgia Renga; Marilena Pariano; Marina M Bellet; Luigina Romani; David J Gottlieb Journal: Blood Adv Date: 2020-07-28