title: Adoptive T-Cell Immunotherapy.
abstract: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is associated with a range of malignancies involving B cells, T cells, natural killer (NK) cells, epithelial cells, and smooth muscle. All of these are associated with the latent life cycles of EBV, but the pattern of latency-associated viral antigens expressed in tumor cells depends on the type of tumor. EBV-specific T cells (EBVSTs) have been explored as prophylaxis and therapy for EBV-associated malignancies for more than two decades. EBVSTs have been most successful as prophylaxis and therapy for post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) , which expresses the full array of latent EBV antigens (type 3 latency), in hematopoietic stem-cell transplant (HSCT) recipients. While less effective, clinical studies have also demonstrated their therapeutic potential for PTLD post-solid organ transplant and for EBV-associated malignancies such as Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) that express a limited array of latent EBV antigens (type 2 latency). Several approaches are actively being pursued to improve the antitumor activity of EBVSTs including activation and expansion of T cells specific for the EBV antigens expressed in type 2 latency, genetic approaches to render EBVSTs resistant to the immunosuppressive tumor environment, and combination approaches with other immune-modulating modalities. Given the recent advances and renewed interest in cell therapy, we hope that EBVSTs will become an integral part of our treatment armamentarium against EBV-positive malignancies in the near-future.
authors.affiliation: Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1770, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. smg@bcm.edu.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gottschalk
authors.affiliation: Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Texas Children's Hospital, Houston Methodist Hospital, Baylor College of Medicine, 1102 Bates Street, Suite 1770, Houston, TX, 77030, USA. crooney@bcm.edu.
authors.forename: Cliona M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rooney
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000821:virology
keywords: Cancer; EBV; Gene transfer; Immunotherapy; T‐Cell therapy