Abstract
Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) efficacy is complicated by graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), a leading cause of morbidity and mortality after transplant. Despite GVHD prophylaxis, 30-70% of patients develop GVHD resulting in susceptibility to infections, relapse and secondary malignancies. Regulatory T-cells (Tregs) have shown efficacy in preventing GVHD, but variably suppressive at high doses. To enhance in vivo suppressor function, murine Treg were transduced to express an anti-human CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (hCAR19) and infused into lethally irradiated hCD19 transgenic recipients for allo-HSCT. As compared to recipients receiving controlled transduced Tregs, those receiving hCAR19 Tregs had a significant decrease in acute GVHD lethality. GVHD amelioration was accomplished with not only maintenance but potentiation of the graft-versus tumor (GVT) response, as recipient hCD19 B-cells and murine hCD19TBL12luc lymphoma cells were both cleared by allogeneic hCAR19 Tregs. Mechanistically, hCAR19 Tregs killed syngeneic hCD19+ but not hCD19- murine TBL12luc cells in vitro in a perforin-dependent, granzyme B-independent manner. Importantly, cyclophosphamide treated hCD19 transgenic mice given hCAR19 cytotoxic T-lymphocytes without allo-HSCT experienced rapid lethality due to systemic toxicity, whereas hCAR19 Tregs avoided this severe complication. In conclusion, CAR19 Tregs are a novel and effective strategy to suppress GVHD without loss of GVT responses.
Authors
Sara Bolivar-Wagers, Michael L. Loschi, Sujeong Jin, Govindarajan Thangavelu, Jemma H. Larson, Cameron S. McDonald-Hyman, Ethan A. Aguilar, Asim Saha, Brent H. Koehn, Mehrdad Hefazi, Mark J. Osborn, Michael C. Jensen, John E. Wagner, Christopher A. Pennell, Bruce R. Blazar.
Graphical abstract
