Autologous cytomegalovirus-specific T cells as effector cells in immunotherapy of B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.
B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) cells express low levels of co-stimulatory molecules and therefore fail to induce activation and differentiation of tumour-specific T cells. We have shown that patients with B-CLL have considerably expanded numbers of cytomegalovirus (CMV) reactive CD8(+) T cells. This study demonstrated that B-CLL cells loaded with CMV peptide not only promoted the ex vivo expansion of autologous, in vivo-generated virus-specific T cells, but also constituted excellent target cells for these cytotoxic T cells, even without ex vivo re-stimulation. Directing virus-specific T cells to B-CLL may overcome the inadequate immunostimulatory capacity of these cells, which could be exploited for T-cell mediated immunotherapy.
Department of Haematology, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Arnon P
AP
Kater
Ester B M
EB
Remmerswaal
Martijn A
MA
Nolte
Eric
E
Eldering
Marinus H J
MH
van Oers
René A W
RA
van Lier
D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D015451:Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured