title: Gammadelta T cells for immune therapy of patients with lymphoid malignancies.
abstract: There is increasing evidence that gammadelta T cells have potent innate antitumor activity. We described previously that synthetic aminobisphosphonates are potent gammadelta T cell stimulatory compounds that induce cytokine secretion (ie, interferon gamma [IFN-gamma]) and cell-mediated cytotoxicity against lymphoma and myeloma cell lines in vitro. To evaluate the antitumor activity of gammadelta T cells in vivo, we initiated a pilot study of low-dose interleukin 2 (IL-2) in combination with pamidronate in 19 patients with relapsed/refractory low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) or multiple myeloma (MM). The objectives of this trial were to determine toxicity, the most effective dose for in vivo activation/proliferation of gammadelta T cells, and antilymphoma efficacy of the combination of pamidronate and IL-2. The first 10 patients (cohort A) who entered the study received 90 mg pamidronate intravenously on day 1 followed by increasing dose levels of continuous 24-hour intravenous (IV) infusions of IL-2 (0.25 to 3 x 106 IU/m2) from day 3 to day 8. Even at the highest IL-2 dose level in vivo, gammadelta T-cell activation/proliferation and response to treatment were disappointing with only 1 patient achieving stable disease. Therefore, the next 9 patients were selected by positive in vitro proliferation of gammadelta T cells in response to pamidronate/IL-2 and received a modified treatment schedule (6-hour bolus IV IL-2 infusions from day 1-6). In this patient group (cohort B), significant in vivo activation/proliferation of gammadelta T cells was observed in 5 patients (55%), and objective responses (PR) were achieved in 3 patients (33%). Only patients with significant in vivo proliferation of gammadelta T cells responded to treatment, indicating that gammadelta T cells might contribute to this antilymphoma effect. Overall, administration of pamidronate and low-dose IL-2 was well tolerated. In conclusion, this clinical trial demonstrates, for the first time, that gammadelta T-cell-mediated immunotherapy is feasible and can induce objective tumor responses.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Poliklinik Wuerzburg, Julius-Maximilians University Wuerzburg, Klinikstrasse 6-8, 97070 Wuerzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kunzmann
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eckstein
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reimer
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Weissinger
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ruediger
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Tony
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004164:Diphosphonates / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000077268:Pamidronate; D010865:Pilot Projects; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D012074:Remission Induction; D016879:Salvage Therapy; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004164:Diphosphonates; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016692:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell, gamma-delta; D000077268:Pamidronate