Activity of broad-spectrum T cells as treatment for AdV, EBV, CMV, BKV, and HHV6 infections after HSCT
Anastasia Papadopoulou, Ulrike Gerdemann, Usha L Katari, Ifigenia Tzannou, Hao Liu, Caridad Martinez, Kathryn Leung, George Carrum, Adrian P Gee, Juan F Vera, Robert A Krance, Malcolm K Brenner, Cliona M Rooney, Helen E Heslop, Ann M Leen, Anastasia Papadopoulou, Ulrike Gerdemann, Usha L Katari, Ifigenia Tzannou, Hao Liu, Caridad Martinez, Kathryn Leung, George Carrum, Adrian P Gee, Juan F Vera, Robert A Krance, Malcolm K Brenner, Cliona M Rooney, Helen E Heslop, Ann M Leen
Abstract
It remains difficult to treat the multiplicity of distinct viral infections that afflict immunocompromised patients. Adoptive transfer of virus-specific T cells (VSTs) can be safe and effective, but such cells have been complex to prepare and limited in antiviral range. We now demonstrate the feasibility and clinical utility of rapidly generated single-culture VSTs that recognize 12 immunogenic antigens from five viruses (Epstein-Barr virus, adenovirus, cytomegalovirus, BK virus, and human herpesvirus 6) that frequently cause disease in immunocompromised patients. When administered to 11 recipients of allogeneic transplants, 8 of whom had up to four active infections with the targeted viruses, these VSTs proved safe in all subjects and produced an overall 94% virological and clinical response rate that was sustained long-term.
Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01570283.
Conflict of interest statement
Competing interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests relevant to the subject matter of this article. JFV is a consultant for Wilson Wolf Manufacturing. CMR, MKB and HEH have a licensing agreement with Cell Medica for EBV-specific T cells to treat EBV-associated lymphoma or nasopharyngeal carcinoma. MKB is on the scientific advisory board of CAnVAC and has share options in both CanVAc and bluebird bio. The Center for Cell and Gene Therapy has a research collaboration with Celgene. None of these relationships is relevant to the subject matter presented in this manuscript. The trial is registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01570283.
Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
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Source: PubMed