T-cell therapy after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
OBJECTIVE
The separation of graft versus host disease from graft versus leukaemia reactivity and the reconstitution of immunity to infectious agents are the main goals of T-cell therapy after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We describe how an improved understanding of T-cell mediated graft versus leukemia and of antiviral responses is providing effective approaches to T-cell immunotherapy.


RESULTS
Over the past several years, researchers have developed strategies to eliminate alloreactive T cells from the graft, to expand naturally occurring regulatory T cells, and to select and expand antigen-specific T cells specific for tumor-associated or viral antigens. Incorporation of suicide genes allows the selective destruction of allodepleted or antigen-selected cells after infusion, further increasing the safety and potential applicability of these approaches.


CONCLUSIONS
In this review we describe current strategies for adoptive T-cell immunotherapy after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
Kennedy-Nasser
Alana A
AA
Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA. aakenned@txccc.org
Brenner
Malcolm K
MK
D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000517:prevention & control; D020544:Graft vs Leukemia Effect; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion / Q000379:methods; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*
D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D000956:Antigens, Viral