Promiscuity of the AlloHLA-A2 restricted T cell repertoire hampers the generation of minor Histocompatibility antigen-specific cytotoxic T cells across HLA barriers

Biol Blood Marrow Transplant. 2007 Feb;13(2):151-63. doi: 10.1016/j.bbmt.2006.10.025.

Abstract

Hematopoietic system-specific miHAs are ideal targets for adoptive immunotherapy after allogeneic HLA (alloHLA)-matched SCT. Adoptive immunotherapy with cytotoxic T cells targeting hematopoietic system-specific miHAs restricted by alloHLA molecules is an attractive strategy to treat relapsed hematologic malignancies after HLA-mismatched SCT. As a proof of principle, we exploited 2 new strategies to generate alloHLA-A2-restricted miHA-specific T cells from HLA-A2(neg) donors using a HLA/miHA multimer-guided approach. In one strategy, autologous DCs coated with HLA-A2/miHA complexes were used for in vitro generation of miHA-specific T cells from HLA-A2(neg) male donors. In the other strategy, miHA-specific T cells were directly isolated from the peripheral blood of HLA-A2(neg) parous females with HLA-A2(pos) offspring. Both methods introduced recombinant HLA-A2/miHA complexes as the sole allogeneic target antigen. However, neither method yielded high avidity miHA-specific T cells or prevented the emergence of peptide-dependent promiscuous T cells. The latter T cells resembled miHA-specific T cells so closely with regard to tetramer binding and cytokine production that only extensive testing at a clonal level revealed their nonspecific nature. Therefore, promiscuity of the alloHLA-A2 T cell repertoire of HLA-A2(neg) individuals hampers in vitro generation of genuine miHA-specific T cells and limits its use for adoptive immunotherapy after HLA-A2 mismatched SCT.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Dendritic Cells / immunology
  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte / immunology*
  • Female
  • HLA-A2 Antigen / immunology*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / adverse effects*
  • Humans
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / adverse effects
  • Immunotherapy, Adoptive / methods
  • Male
  • Neoplasm Proteins / immunology*
  • T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / immunology*
  • Transplantation, Homologous / adverse effects*
  • Transplantation, Homologous / immunology

Substances

  • Epitopes, T-Lymphocyte
  • HA-2 antigen
  • HLA-A2 Antigen
  • Neoplasm Proteins