Base-Edited CAR7 T Cells for Relapsed T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Cytidine deamination that is guided by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) can mediate a highly precise conversion of one nucleotide into another - specifically, cytosine to thymine - without generating breaks in DNA. Thus, genes can be base-edited and rendered inactive without inducing translocations and other chromosomal aberrations. The use of this technique in patients with relapsed childhood T-cell leukemia is being investigated. METHODS: We used base editing to generate universal, off-the-shelf chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells. Healthy volunteer donor T cells were transduced with the use of a lentivirus to express a CAR with specificity for CD7 (CAR7), a protein that is expressed in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We then used base editing to inactivate three genes encoding CD52 and CD7 receptors and the ß chain of the αß T-cell receptor to evade lymphodepleting serotherapy, CAR7 T-cell fratricide, and graft-versus-host disease, respectively. We investigated the safety of these edited cells in three children with relapsed leukemia. RESULTS: The first patient, a 13-year-old girl who had relapsed T-cell ALL after allogeneic stem-cell transplantation, had molecular remission within 28 days after infusion of a single dose of base-edited CAR7 (BE-CAR7). She then received a reduced-intensity (nonmyeloablative) allogeneic stem-cell transplant from her original donor, with successful immunologic reconstitution and ongoing leukemic remission. BE-CAR7 cells from the same bank showed potent activity in two other patients, and although fatal fungal complications developed in one patient, the other patient underwent allogeneic stem-cell transplantation while in remission. Serious adverse events included cytokine release syndrome, multilineage cytopenia, and opportunistic infections. CONCLUSIONS: The interim results of this phase 1 study support further investigation of base-edited T cells for patients with relapsed leukemia and indicate the anticipated risks of immunotherapy-related complications. (Funded by the Medical Research Council and others; ISRCTN number, ISRCTN15323014.).

Genome-edited allogeneic donor "universal" chimeric antigen receptor T cells.

αß T cell receptor (TCRαß) T cells modified to express chimeric antigen receptors (CAR), are now available as authorized therapies for certain B-cell malignancies. However the process of autologous harvest and generation of patient-specific products is costly, with complex logistics and infrastructure requirements. Premanufactured banks of allogeneic donor-derived CAR T cells could help widen applicability if the challenges of HLA-mismatched T-cell therapy can be addressed. Genome editing is being applied to overcome allogeneic barriers, most notably, by disrupting TCRαß to prevent graft-versus-host disease, and multiple competing editing technologies, including CRISPR/Cas9 and base editing, have reached clinical phase testing. Improvements in accuracy and efficiency have unlocked applications for a wider range of blood malignancies, with multiplexed editing incorporated to target HLA molecules, shared antigens and checkpoint pathways. Clinical trials will help establish safety profiles and determine the durability of responses as well as the role of consolidation with allogeneic transplantation.

Non-osteopenic Bone Pathology After Allo-hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Patients with Inborn Errors of Immunity.

PURPOSE: There is a lack of data on post-HSCT non-osteopenic bone pathology specifically for children with inborn errors of immunity (IEI). We collected data on non-osteopenic bone pathology in children with IEI post-HSCT over two decades in a large tertiary pediatric immunology center. METHODS: Descriptive study with data analysis of bone pathology in allo-HSCT for IEI was performed between 1/1/2000 to 31/12/2018 including patients alive at follow-up to July 2022. Records were analyzed for bone pathology and risk factors. Exclusion criteria included isolated reduced bone density, fractures, and skeletal anomalies due to underlying IEI and short stature without other bone pathology. Bone pathologies were divided into 5 categories: bone tumors; skeletal dysplasia; avascular necrosis; evolving bone deformities; slipped upper femoral epiphysis. RESULTS: A total of 429 children received HSCT between 2000 and 2018; 340 are alive at last assessment. Non-osteopenic bone pathology was observed post-HSCT in 9.4% of patients (32/340, mean 7.8 years post-HSCT). Eleven patients (34%) had > 1 category of bone pathology. Seventeen patients (17/32; 53%) presented with bilateral bone pathology. The majority of patients received treosulfan-based conditioning (26/32; 81.2%). Totally, 65.6% (21/32) of patients had a history of prolonged steroid use (> 6 months). Pain was the presenting symptom in 66% of patients, and surgical intervention was required in 43.7%. The highest incidence of bone pathologies was seen in Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) (n = 8/34; 23.5%) followed by hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis patients (n = 3/16; 18.8%). CONCLUSION: Non-osteopenic bone pathology in long-term survivors of allo-HSCT for IEI is not rare. Most patients did not present with complaints until at least 5 years post-HSCT highlighting the need for ongoing bone health assessment for patients with IEI. Children presenting with stunted growth and bone pathology post-HSCT should undergo skeletal survey to rule out development of post-HSCT skeletal dysplasia. Increased rates and complexity of bone pathology were seen amongst patients with Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.

Outcome of Non-hematological Autoimmunity After Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation in Children with Primary Immunodeficiency.

PURPOSE: Knowledge of post-hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) non-hematological autoimmune disease (AD) is far from satisfactory. METHOD: This multicenter retrospective study focuses on incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of post-HCT AD in 596 children with primary immunodeficiency (PID) who were transplanted from 2009 to 2018. RESULTS: The indications of HCT were severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID, n = 158, 27%) and non-SCID PID (n = 438, 73%). The median age at HCT was 2.3 years (range, 0.04 to 18.3 years). The 5-year overall survival for the entire cohort was 79% (95% cumulative incidence (CIN), 74-83%). The median follow-up of surviving patients was 4.3 years (0.08 to 14.7 years). The CIN of post-HCT AD was 3% (2-5%) at 1 year post-HCT, 7% (5-11%) at 5 years post-HCT, and 11% (7-17%) at 8 years post-HCT. The median onset of post-HCT AD was 2.2 years (0.12 to 9.6 years). Autoimmune thyroid disorder (n = 19, 62%) was the most common post-HCT AD, followed by neuromuscular disorders (n = 7, 22%) and rheumatological manifestations (n = 5, 16%). All patients but one required treatment for post-HCT AD. After multivariate analysis, age at transplant (p = 0.01) and T cell-depleted graft (p < 0.001) were significant predictors of post-HCT AD. None of the T cell-depleted graft recipients developed post-HCT AD. Patients with a lower CD3+ count at 6 months post-HCT had a significant higher incidence of post-HCT AD compared to disease controls. Graft-versus-host disease, viral infection, and donor chimerism had no association with post-HCT AD. CONCLUSION: Post-HCT AD occurred in 11% at 8 years post-HCT and its occurrence was associated with older age at HCT and unmanipulated graft.

Genome-edited, donor-derived allogeneic anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor T cells in paediatric and adult B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: results of two phase 1 studies.

BACKGROUND: Genome-edited donor-derived allogeneic anti-CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells offer a novel form of CAR-T-cell product that is available for immediate clinical use, thereby broadening access and applicability. UCART19 is one such product investigated in children and adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. Two multicentre phase 1 studies aimed to investigate the feasibility, safety, and antileukaemic activity of UCART19 in children and adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. METHODS: We enrolled paediatric or adult patients in two ongoing, multicentre, phase 1 clinical trials to evaluate the safety and antileukaemic activity of UCART19. All patients underwent lymphodepletion with fludarabine and cyclophosphamide with or without alemtuzumab, then children received UCART19 at 1·1-2·3 × 106 cells per kg and adults received UCART19 doses of 6 × 106 cells, 6-8 × 107 cells, or 1·8-2·4 × 108 cells in a dose-escalation study. The primary outcome measure was adverse events in the period between first infusion and data cutoff. These studies were registered at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02808442 and NCT02746952. FINDINGS: Between June 3, 2016, and Oct 23, 2018, seven children and 14 adults were enrolled in the two studies and received UCART19. Cytokine release syndrome was the most common adverse event and was observed in 19 patients (91%); three (14%) had grade 3-4 cytokine release syndrome. Other adverse events were grade 1 or 2 neurotoxicity in eight patients (38%), grade 1 acute skin graft-versus-host disease in two patients (10%), and grade 4 prolonged cytopenia in six patients (32%). Two treatment-related deaths occurred; one caused by neutropenic sepsis in a patient with concurrent cytokine release syndrome and one from pulmonary haemorrhage in a patient with persistent cytopenia. 14 (67%) of 21 patients had a complete response or complete response with incomplete haematological recovery 28 days after infusion. Patients not receiving alemtuzumab (n=4) showed no UCART19 expansion or antileukaemic activity. The median duration of response was 4·1 months with ten (71%) of 14 responders proceeding to a subsequent allogeneic stem-cell transplant. Progression-free survival at 6 months was 27%, and overall survival was 55%. INTERPRETATION: These two studies show, for the first time, the feasibility of using allogeneic, genome-edited CAR T cells to treat patients with aggressive leukaemia. UCART19 exhibited in-vivo expansion and antileukaemic activity with a manageable safety profile in heavily pretreated paediatric and adult patients with relapsed or refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. The results this study are an encouraging step forward for the field of allogeneic CAR T cells, and UCART19 offers the opportunity to treat patients with rapidly progressive disease and where autologous CAR-T-cell therapy is unavailable. FUNDING: Servier.

Ex vivo gene modification therapy for genetic skin diseases-recent advances in gene modification technologies and delivery.

Genetic skin diseases, also known as genodermatoses, are inherited disorders affecting skin and constitute a large and heterogeneous group of diseases. While genodermatoses are rare with the prevalence rate of less than 1 in 50,000 - 200,000, they frequently occur at birth or early in life and are generally chronic, severe, and could be life-threatening. The quality of life of patients and their families are severely compromised by the negative psychosocial impact of disease, physical manifestations, and the lack or loss of autonomy. Currently, there are no curative treatments for these conditions. Ex vivo gene modification therapy that involves modification or correction of mutant genes in patients' cells in vitro and then transplanted back to patients to restore functional gene expression has being developed for genodermatoses. In this review, the ex vivo gene modification therapy strategies for genodermatoses are reviewed, focusing on current advances in gene modification and correction in patients' cells and delivery of genetically modified cells to patients with discussions on gene therapy trials which have been performed in this area.

Variability in Genome Editing Outcomes: Challenges for Research Reproducibility and Clinical Safety.

Genome editing tools have already revolutionized biomedical research and are also expected to have an important impact in the clinic. However, their extensive use in research has revealed much unpredictability, both off and on target, in the outcome of their application. We discuss the challenges associated with this unpredictability, both for research and in the clinic. For the former, an extensive validation of the model is essential. For the latter, potential unpredicted activity does not preclude the use of these tools but requires that molecular evidence to underpin the relevant risk:benefit evaluation is available. Safe and successful clinical application will also depend on the mode of delivery and the cellular context.

'Mini' U6 Pol III promoter exhibits nucleosome redundancy and supports multiplexed coupling of CRISPR/Cas9 effects.

RNA polymerase III (Pol III) promoters express short non-coding RNAs and have been adopted for expression of microRNA, interference RNA, and CRISPR single guide RNA (sgRNA). Vectors incorporating H1 and U6 Pol III promoters are being applied for therapeutic genome editing, including multiplexed CRISPR/Cas9 effects. We report a nucleosome-depleted, minimal U6 promoter, which when embedded within lentiviral long terminal repeat (LTR) regions, supports high level transcriptional activity. Furthermore, duplex minimal H1 & U6 promoters transcribed dual sgRNAs for simultaneous disruption of T cell receptor (TCR) and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules, supporting efficient generation of 'universal' CAR T cells.

New graft manipulation strategies improve the outcome of mismatched stem cell transplantation in children with primary immunodeficiencies.

BACKGROUND: Mismatched stem cell transplantation is associated with a high risk of graft loss, graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), and transplant-related mortality. Alternative graft manipulation strategies have been used over the last 11 years to reduce these risks. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the outcome of using different graft manipulation strategies among children with primary immunodeficiencies. METHODS: Between 2006 and 2017, 147 patients with primary immunodeficiencies received 155 mismatched grafts: 30 T-cell receptor (TCR) αß/CD19-depleted grafts, 43 cord blood (CB) grafts (72% with no serotherapy), 17 CD34+ selection with T-cell add-back grafts, and 65 unmanipulated grafts. RESULTS: The estimated 8-year survival of the entire cohort was 79%, transplant-related mortality was 21.7%, and the graft failure rate was 6.7%. Posttransplantation viral reactivation, grade II to IV acute graft-versus-host disease (aGvHD), and chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) complicated 49.6%, 35%, and 15% of transplantations, respectively. Use of TCRαß/CD19 depletion was associated with a significantly lower incidence of grade II to IV aGvHD (11.5%) and cGvHD (0%), although with a greater incidence of viral reactivation (70%) in comparison with other grafts. T-cell immune reconstitution was robust among CB transplants, although with a high incidence (56.7%) of grade II to IV aGvHD. Stable full donor engraftment was significantly greater at 80% among TCRαß+/CD19+-depleted and CB transplants versus 40% to 60% among the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: Rapidly accessible CB and haploidentical grafts are suitable alternatives for patients with no HLA-matched donor. Cord transplantation without serotherapy and TCRαß+/CD19+-depleted grafts produced comparable survival rates of around 80%, although with a high rate of aGvHD with the former and a high risk of viral reactivation with the latter that need to be addressed.

Identifying functional defects in patients with immune dysregulation due to LRBA and CTLA-4 mutations.

Heterozygous CTLA-4 deficiency has been reported as a monogenic cause of common variable immune deficiency with features of immune dysregulation. Direct mutation in CTLA-4 leads to defective regulatory T-cell (Treg) function associated with impaired ability to control levels of the CTLA-4 ligands, CD80 and CD86. However, additional mutations affecting the CTLA-4 pathway, such as those recently reported for LRBA, indirectly affect CTLA-4 expression, resulting in clinically similar disorders. Robust phenotyping approaches sensitive to defects in the CTLA-4 pathway are therefore required to inform understanding of such immune dysregulation syndromes. Here, we describe assays capable of distinguishing a variety of defects in the CTLA-4 pathway. Assessing total CTLA-4 expression levels was found to be optimal when restricting analysis to the CD45RA-Foxp3+ fraction. CTLA-4 induction following stimulation, and the use of lysosomal-blocking compounds, distinguished CTLA-4 from LRBA mutations. Short-term T-cell stimulation improved the capacity for discriminating the Foxp3+ Treg compartment, clearly revealing Treg expansions in these disorders. Finally, we developed a functionally orientated assay to measure ligand uptake by CTLA-4, which is sensitive to ligand-binding or -trafficking mutations, that would otherwise be difficult to detect and that is appropriate for testing novel mutations in CTLA-4 pathway genes. These approaches are likely to be of value in interpreting the functional significance of mutations in the CTLA-4 pathway identified by gene-sequencing approaches.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 29 patients hemizygous for hypomorphic IKBKG/NEMO mutations.

X-linked recessive ectodermal dysplasia with immunodeficiency is a rare primary immunodeficiency caused by hypomorphic mutations of the IKBKG gene encoding the nuclear factor κB essential modulator (NEMO) protein. This condition displays enormous allelic, immunological, and clinical heterogeneity, and therapeutic decisions are difficult because NEMO operates in both hematopoietic and nonhematopoietic cells. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is potentially life-saving, but the small number of case reports available suggests it has been reserved for only the most severe cases. Here, we report the health status before HSCT, transplantation outcome, and clinical follow-up for a series of 29 patients from unrelated kindreds from 11 countries. Between them, these patients carry 23 different hypomorphic IKBKG mutations. HSCT was performed from HLA-identical related donors (n = 7), HLA-matched unrelated donors (n = 12), HLA-mismatched unrelated donors (n = 8), and HLA-haploidentical related donors (n = 2). Engraftment was documented in 24 patients, and graft-versus-host disease in 13 patients. Up to 7 patients died 0.2 to 12 months after HSCT. The global survival rate after HSCT among NEMO-deficient children was 74% at a median follow-up after HSCT of 57 months (range, 4-108 months). Preexisting mycobacterial infection and colitis were associated with poor HSCT outcome. The underlying mutation does not appear to have any influence, as patients with the same mutation had different outcomes. Transplantation did not appear to cure colitis, possibly as a result of cell-intrinsic disorders of the epithelial barrier. Overall, HSCT can cure most clinical features of patients with a variety of IKBKG mutations.

Allogeneic CAR T cell therapies for leukemia.

Allogeneic chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cells can offer advantages over autologous T cell therapies, including the availability of "fit" cells for production, and elimination of risks associated with inadvertent transduction of leukemic blasts. However, allogeneic T cell therapies must address HLA barriers and conventionally rely on the availability of a suitable HLA-matched donor if graft-vs-host-disease and rejection effects are to be avoided. More recently, the incorporation of additional genome editing manipulations, to disrupt T cell receptor expression and address other critical pathways have been explored. Clinical trials are underway investigating non-HLA matched T cells expressing anti-CD19 CARs for the treatment of B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) and anti-CD123 CAR for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Such approaches continue to be refined and improved to widen accessibility and reduce the cost of T cell therapies for a wider range of conditions.

Long Terminal Repeat CRISPR-CAR-Coupled "Universal" T Cells Mediate Potent Anti-leukemic Effects.

Gene editing can be used to overcome allo-recognition, which otherwise limits allogeneic T cell therapies. Initial proof-of-concept applications have included generation of such "universal" T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) against CD19 target antigens combined with transient expression of DNA-targeting nucleases to disrupt the T cell receptor alpha constant chain (TRAC). Although relatively efficient, transgene expression and editing effects were unlinked, yields variable, and resulting T cell populations heterogeneous, complicating dosing strategies. We describe a self-inactivating lentiviral "terminal" vector platform coupling CAR expression with CRISPR/Cas9 effects through incorporation of an sgRNA element into the ΔU3 3' long terminal repeat (LTR). Following reverse transcription and duplication of the hybrid ΔU3-sgRNA, delivery of Cas9 mRNA resulted in targeted TRAC locus cleavage and allowed the enrichment of highly homogeneous (>96%) CAR+ (>99%) TCR- populations by automated magnetic separation. Molecular analyses, including NGS, WGS, and Digenome-seq, verified on-target specificity with no evidence of predicted off-target events. Robust anti-leukemic effects were demonstrated in humanized immunodeficient mice and were sustained longer than by conventional CAR+TCR+ T cells. Terminal-TRAC (TT) CAR T cells offer the possibility of a pre-manufactured, non-HLA-matched CAR cell therapy and will be evaluated in phase 1 trials against B cell malignancies shortly.

T-cell receptor αß+ and CD19+ cell-depleted haploidentical and mismatched hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in primary immune deficiency.

BACKGROUND: Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is used as a therapeutic approach for primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs). The best outcomes have been achieved with HLA-matched donors, but when a matched donor is not available, a haploidentical or mismatched unrelated donor (mMUD) can be useful. Various strategies are used to mitigate the risk of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) and rejection associated with such transplants. OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the outcomes of haploidentical or mMUD HSCT after depleting GvHD-causing T-cell receptor (TCR) αß CD3+ cells from the graft. METHODS: CD3+TCRαß+/CD19+ depleted grafts were given in conditioned (except 3) children with PIDs. Treosulfan (busulfan in 1 patient), fludarabine, thiotepa, and anti-thymocyte globulin or alemtuzumab conditioning were used in 77% of cases, and all but 4 received GvHD prophylaxis. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients with 12 types of PIDs received 26 HSCTs. Three underwent transplantation for refractory GvHD that developed after the first cord transplantation. At a median follow-up of 20.8 months (range, 5 month-3.3 years), 21 of 25 patients survived and were cured of underlying immunodeficiency. Overall and event-free survival at 3 years were 83.9% and 80.4%, respectively. Cumulative incidence of grade II to IV acute GvHD was 22% ± 8.7%. No case of visceral or chronic GvHD was seen. Cumulative incidences of graft failure, cytomegalovirus, and/or adenoviral infections and transplant-related mortality at 1 year were 4.2% ± 4.1%, 58.8% ± 9.8%, and 16.1% ± 7.4%, respectively. Patients undergoing transplantation with systemic viral infections had poor survival in comparison with those with absent or resolved infections (33.3% vs 100%). CONCLUSION: CD3+TCRαß+ and CD19+ cell-depleted haploidentical or mMUD HSCT is a practical and viable alternative for children with a range of PIDs.

Long-term follow-up of IPEX syndrome patients after different therapeutic strategies: An international multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Immunodysregulation polyendocrinopathy enteropathy x-linked (IPEX) syndrome is a monogenic autoimmune disease caused by FOXP3 mutations. Because it is a rare disease, the natural history and response to treatments, including allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and immunosuppression (IS), have not been thoroughly examined. OBJECTIVE: This analysis sought to evaluate disease onset, progression, and long-term outcome of the 2 main treatments in long-term IPEX survivors. METHODS: Clinical histories of 96 patients with a genetically proven IPEX syndrome were collected from 38 institutions worldwide and retrospectively analyzed. To investigate possible factors suitable to predict the outcome, an organ involvement (OI) scoring system was developed. RESULTS: We confirm neonatal onset with enteropathy, type 1 diabetes, and eczema. In addition, we found less common manifestations in delayed onset patients or during disease evolution. There is no correlation between the site of mutation and the disease course or outcome, and the same genotype can present with variable phenotypes. HSCT patients (n = 58) had a median follow-up of 2.7 years (range, 1 week-15 years). Patients receiving chronic IS (n = 34) had a median follow-up of 4 years (range, 2 months-25 years). The overall survival after HSCT was 73.2% (95% CI, 59.4-83.0) and after IS was 65.1% (95% CI, 62.8-95.8). The pretreatment OI score was the only significant predictor of overall survival after transplant (P = .035) but not under IS. CONCLUSIONS: Patients receiving chronic IS were hampered by disease recurrence or complications, impacting long-term disease-free survival. When performed in patients with a low OI score, HSCT resulted in disease resolution with better quality of life, independent of age, donor source, or conditioning regimen.

Treosulfan and Fludarabine Conditioning for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Children with Primary Immunodeficiency: UK Experience.

We previously published results for 70 children who received conditioning with treosulfan and cyclophosphamide (n = 30) or fludarabine (n = 40) before undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for primary immunodeficiency (PID). Toxicity was lower and T cell chimerism was better in the patients receiving fludarabine, but cohort numbers were relatively small and follow-up was short. Here we report outcomes of 160 children who received homogeneous conditioning with treosulfan, fludarabine, and, in most cases, alemtuzumab (n = 124). The median age at transplantation was 1.36 years (range, .09 to 18.25 years). Donors included 73 matched unrelated, 54 1 to 3 antigen-mismatched unrelated, 12 matched sibling, 17 other matched family, and 4 haploidentical donors. Stem cell source was peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) in 70, bone marrow in 49, and cord blood in 41. Median duration of follow-up was 4.3 years (range, .8 to 9.4 years). Overall survival was 83%. No patients had veno-occlusive disease. Seventy-four patients (46%) had acute GVHD, but only 14 (9%) greater than grade II. Four patients underwent successful retransplantation for graft loss or poor immune reconstitution. Another patient experienced graft rejection and died. There was no association between T cell chimerism >95% and stem cell source, but a significant association was seen between myeloid chimerism >95% and use of PBSCs without an increased risk of significant GVHD compared with other sources. All 11 patients with severe combined immunodeficiency diagnosed at birth were alive at up to 8.7 years of follow-up. Long-term studies are needed to determine late gonadotoxic effects, and pharmacokinetic studies are needed to identify whether specific targeting is advantageous. The combination of treosulfan, fludarabine, and alemtuzumab is associated with excellent results in HSCT for PID.

Multicenter phase 1/2 application of adenovirus-specific T cells in high-risk pediatric patients after allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Adenovirus (ADV) reactivation can cause significant morbidity and mortality in children after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Antiviral drugs can control viremia, but viral clearance requires recovery of cell-mediated immunity. METHOD: This study was an open-label phase 1/2 study to investigate the feasibility of generating donor-derived ADV-specific T cells (Cytovir ADV, Cell Medica) and to assess the safety of pre-emptive administration of ADV-specific T cells in high-risk pediatric patients after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) to treat adenoviremia. Primary safety endpoints included graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), and secondary endpoints determined antiviral responses and use of antiviral drugs. RESULTS: Between January 2013 and May 2016, 92 donors were enrolled for the production of ADV T cells at three centers in the United Kingdom (UK), and 83 products were generated from 72 mobilized peripheral blood harvests and 20 steady-state whole blood donations. Eight children received Cytovir ADV T cells after standard therapy and all resolved ADV viremia between 15 and 127 days later. ADV-specific T cells were detectable using enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISpot) in the peripheral blood of all patients analyzed. Serious adverse events included Grade II GvHD, Astrovirus encephalitis and pancreatitis. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates the safety and feasibility of pre-emptively manufacturing peptide pulsed ADV-specific cells for high-risk pediatric patients after transplantation and provides early evidence of clinical efficacy.

Mutations in linker for activation of T cells (LAT) lead to a novel form of severe combined immunodeficiency.

BACKGROUND: Signaling through the T-cell receptor (TCR) is critical for T-cell development and function. Linker for activation of T cells (LAT) is a transmembrane adaptor signaling molecule that is part of the TCR complex and essential for T-cell development, as demonstrated by LAT-deficient mice, which show a complete lack of peripheral T cells. OBJECTIVE: We describe a pedigree affected by a severe combined immunodeficiency phenotype with absent T cells and normal B-cell and natural killer cell numbers. A novel homozygous frameshift mutation in the gene encoding for LAT was identified in this kindred. METHODS: Genetic, molecular, and functional analyses were used to identify and characterize the LAT defect. Clinical and immunologic analysis of patients was also performed and reported. RESULTS: Homozygosity mapping was used to identify potential defective genes. Sanger sequencing of the LAT gene showed a mutation that resulted in a premature stop codon and protein truncation leading to complete loss of function and loss of expression of LAT in the affected family members. We also demonstrate loss of LAT expression and lack of TCR signaling restoration in LAT-deficient cell lines reconstituted with a synthetic LAT gene bearing this severe combined immunodeficiency mutation. CONCLUSION: For the first time, the results of this study show that inherited LAT deficiency should be considered in patients with combined immunodeficiency with T-cell abnormalities.

Cord blood T cells mediate enhanced antitumor effects compared with adult peripheral blood T cells.

Unrelated cord blood transplantation (CBT) without in vivo T-cell depletion is increasingly used to treat high-risk hematologic malignancies. Following T-replete CBT, naïve CB T cells undergo rapid peripheral expansion with memory-effector differentiation. Emerging data suggest that unrelated CBT, particularly in the context of HLA mismatch and a T-replete graft, may reduce leukemic relapse. To study the role of CB T cells in mediating graft-versus-tumor responses and dissect the underlying immune mechanisms for this, we compared the ability of HLA-mismatched CB and adult peripheral blood (PB) T cells to eliminate Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-driven human B-cell lymphoma in a xenogeneic NOD/SCID/IL2rg(null) mouse model. CB T cells mediated enhanced tumor rejection compared with equal numbers of PB T cells, leading to improved survival in the CB group (P < .0003). Comparison of CB T cells that were autologous vs allogeneic to the lymphoma demonstrated that this antitumor effect was mediated by alloreactive rather than EBV-specific T cells. Analysis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes demonstrated that CB T cells mediated this enhanced antitumor effect by rapid infiltration of the tumor with CCR7(+)CD8(+) T cells and prompt induction of cytotoxic CD8(+) and CD4(+) T-helper (Th1) T cells in the tumor microenvironment. In contrast, in the PB group, this antilymphoma effect is impaired because of delayed tumoral infiltration of PB T cells and a relative bias toward suppressive Th2 and T-regulatory cells. Our data suggest that, despite being naturally programmed toward tolerance, reconstituting T cells after unrelated T-replete CBT may provide superior Tc1-Th1 antitumor effects against high-risk hematologic malignancies.

Deep sequencing reveals persistence of cell-associated mumps vaccine virus in chronic encephalitis.

Routine childhood vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella has virtually abolished virus-related morbidity and mortality. Notwithstanding this, we describe here devastating neurological complications associated with the detection of live-attenuated mumps virus Jeryl Lynn (MuVJL5) in the brain of a child who had undergone successful allogeneic transplantation for severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). This is the first confirmed report of MuVJL5 associated with chronic encephalitis and highlights the need to exclude immunodeficient individuals from immunisation with live-attenuated vaccines. The diagnosis was only possible by deep sequencing of the brain biopsy. Sequence comparison of the vaccine batch to the MuVJL5 isolated from brain identified biased hypermutation, particularly in the matrix gene, similar to those found in measles from cases of SSPE. The findings provide unique insights into the pathogenesis of paramyxovirus brain infections.