Azacitidine augments expansion of regulatory T cells after allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

OC Goodyear, M Dennis, NY Jilani… - Blood, The Journal …, 2012 - ashpublications.org
OC Goodyear, M Dennis, NY Jilani, J Loke, S Siddique, G Ryan, J Nunnick, R Khanum…
Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology, 2012ashpublications.org
Strategies that augment a GVL effect without increasing the risk of GVHD are required to
improve the outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Azacitidine (AZA) up-
regulates the expression of tumor Ags on leukemic blasts in vitro and expands the numbers
of immunomodulatory T regulatory cells (Tregs) in animal models. Reasoning that AZA might
selectively augment a GVL effect, we studied the immunologic sequelae of AZA
administration after allogeneic SCT. Twenty-seven patients who had undergone a reduced …
Abstract
Strategies that augment a GVL effect without increasing the risk of GVHD are required to improve the outcome after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). Azacitidine (AZA) up-regulates the expression of tumor Ags on leukemic blasts in vitro and expands the numbers of immunomodulatory T regulatory cells (Tregs) in animal models. Reasoning that AZA might selectively augment a GVL effect, we studied the immunologic sequelae of AZA administration after allogeneic SCT. Twenty-seven patients who had undergone a reduced intensity allogeneic transplantation for acute myeloid leukemia were treated with monthly courses of AZA, and CD8+ T-cell responses to candidate tumor Ags and circulating Tregs were measured. AZA after transplantation was well tolerated, and its administration was associated with a low incidence of GVHD. Administration of AZA increased the number of Tregs within the first 3 months after transplantation compared with a control population (P = .0127). AZA administration also induced a cytotoxic CD8+ T-cell response to several tumor Ags, including melanoma-associated Ag 1, B melanoma antigen 1, and Wilm tumor Ag 1. These data support the further examination of AZA after transplantation as a mechanism of augmenting a GVL effect without a concomitant increase in GVHD. The trial was registered at http://isrctn.org as #ISRCTN36825171.
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