title: Immunotherapy for EBV-associated malignancies.
abstract: Since 1995 to date, more than 250 patients with EBV-related diseases received virus-specific CTL. Cell therapy proved to be safe and effective, and achieved some complete remissions also in patients who failed all previous standard treatments. The first clinical results with EBV-specific CTL were obtained for both prophylaxis and treatment of post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease arising in stem cell transplant or solid organ transplant recipients. Based on such encouraging results, the same approach was then extended to other EBV-related diseases, namely Hodgkin's lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and chronic active infection. Nowadays, the modification of the CTL generation protocols and the introduction of new specificities into EBV-specific CTL lines by chimeric antigen receptor transfer allow targeting other viral infections and also non-EBV related malignancies. Aim of this review is to summarize clinical results obtained thus far in adoptive cell therapy approaches with EBV-specific CTL. Moreover, by analyzing ongoing clinical trials, we also provide some insights on the potential future of a successful and paradigmatic history.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Surgical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Gattamelata, 64, 35128, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Merlo
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Surgical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Gattamelata, 64, 35128, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Turrini
authors.affiliation: Cancer Bio-Immunotherapy Unit, Department of Medical Oncology, CRO, IRCCS, National Cancer Institute, Aviano, Italy.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dolcetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Surgical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Gattamelata, 64, 35128, Padua, Italy.|Istituto Oncologico Veneto, IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zanovello
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology and Surgical Sciences, University of Padova, Via Gattamelata, 64, 35128, Padua, Italy. antonio.rosato@unipd.it.|Istituto Oncologico Veneto, IOV-IRCCS, Padua, Italy. antonio.rosato@unipd.it.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosato
mesh_terms: D019264:Adoptive Transfer; D002277:Carcinoma; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D000077274:Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation*