| 1. |
- Basar, R, et al.
(författare)
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Large-scale GMP-compliant CRISPR-Cas9-mediated deletion of the glucocorticoid receptor in multivirus-specific T cells
- 2020
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Ingår i: Blood advances. - : American Society of Hematology. - 2473-9537 .- 2473-9529. ; 4:14, s. 3357-3367
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Virus-specific T cells have proven highly effective for the treatment of severe and drug-refractory infections after hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). However, the efficacy of these cells is hindered by the use of glucocorticoids, often given to patients for the management of complications such as graft-versus-host disease. To address this limitation, we have developed a novel strategy for the rapid generation of good manufacturing practice (GMP)–grade glucocorticoid-resistant multivirus-specific T cells (VSTs) using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)–CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) gene-editing technology. We have shown that deleting the nuclear receptor subfamily 3 group C member 1 (NR3C1; the gene encoding for the glucocorticoid receptor) renders VSTs resistant to the lymphocytotoxic effect of glucocorticoids. NR3C1-knockout (KO) VSTs kill their targets and proliferate successfully in the presence of high doses of dexamethasone both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we developed a protocol for the rapid generation of GMP-grade NR3C1 KO VSTs with high on-target activity and minimal off-target editing. These genetically engineered VSTs promise to be a novel approach for the treatment of patients with life-threatening viral infections post-HSCT on glucocorticoid therapy.
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| 2. |
- Bergsten, E, et al.
(författare)
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Stem cell transplantation for children with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis: results from the HLH-2004 study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Blood advances. - : American Society of Hematology. - 2473-9537 .- 2473-9529. ; 4:15, s. 3754-3766
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report the largest prospective study thus far on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a life-threatening hyperinflammatory syndrome comprising familial/genetic HLH (FHL) and secondary HLH. Although all patients with HLH typically need intensive anti-inflammatory therapy, patients with FHL also need HSCT to be cured. In the international HLH-2004 study, 187 children aged <18 years fulfilling the study inclusion criteria (5 of 8 diagnostic criteria, affected sibling, or molecular diagnosis in FHL-causative genes) underwent 209 transplants (2004-2012), defined as indicated in patients with familial/genetic, relapsing, or severe/persistent disease. Five-year overall survival (OS) post-HSCT was 66% (95% confidence interval [CI], 59-72); event-free survival (EFS) was 60% (95% CI, 52-67). Five-year OS was 81% (95% CI, 65-90) for children with a complete response and 59% (95% CI, 48-69) for those with a partial response (hazard ratio [HR], 2.12; 95% CI, 1.06-4.27; P = .035). For children with verified FHL (family history/genetically verified, n = 134), 5-year OS was 71% (95% CI, 62-78) and EFS was 62% (95% CI, 54-70); 5-year OS for children without verified FHL (n = 53) was significantly lower (52%; 95% CI, 38-65) (P = .040; HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.03-2.77); they were also significantly older. Notably, 20 (38%) of 53 patients without verified FHL had natural killer cell activity reported as normal at diagnosis, after 2 months, or at HSCT, suggestive of secondary HLH; and in addition 14 (26%) of these 53 children had no evidence of biallelic mutations despite having 3 or 4 FHL genes analyzed (natural killer cell activity not analyzed after 2 months or at HSCT). We conclude that post-HSCT survival in FHL remains suboptimal, and that the FHL diagnosis should be carefully investigated before HSCT. Pretransplant complete remission is beneficial but not mandatory to achieve post-HSCT survival. This trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as #NCT00426101.
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| 3. |
- Bruck, O, et al.
(författare)
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Immune profiles in acute myeloid leukemia bone marrow associate with patient age, T-cell receptor clonality, and survival
- 2020
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Ingår i: Blood advances. - : American Society of Hematology. - 2473-9537 .- 2473-9529. ; 4:2, s. 274-286
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The immunologic microenvironment in various solid tumors is aberrant and correlates with clinical survival. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of the immune environment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) bone marrow (BM) at diagnosis. We compared the immunologic landscape of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded BM trephine samples from AML (n = 69), chronic myeloid leukemia (CML; n = 56), and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) patients (n = 52) at diagnosis to controls (n = 12) with 30 immunophenotype markers using multiplex immunohistochemistry and computerized image analysis. We identified distinct immunologic profiles specific for leukemia subtypes and controls enabling accurate classification of AML (area under the curve [AUC] = 1.0), CML (AUC = 0.99), B-ALL (AUC = 0.96), and control subjects (AUC = 1.0). Interestingly, 2 major immunologic AML clusters differing in age, T-cell receptor clonality, and survival were discovered. A low proportion of regulatory T cells and pSTAT1+cMAF− monocytes were identified as novel biomarkers of superior event-free survival in intensively treated AML patients. Moreover, we demonstrated that AML BM and peripheral blood samples are dissimilar in terms of immune cell phenotypes. To conclude, our study shows that the immunologic landscape considerably varies by leukemia subtype suggesting disease-specific immunoregulation. Furthermore, the association of the AML immune microenvironment with clinical parameters suggests a rationale for including immunologic parameters to improve disease classification or even patient risk stratification.
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| 4. |
- Cartwright, Ashley, et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of large in-frame von Willebrand factor deletions highlights differing pathogenic mechanisms
- 2020
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Ingår i: Blood Advances. - 2473-9529 .- 2473-9537. ; 4:13, s. 2979-2990
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Copy number variation (CNV) is known to cause all von Willebrand disease (VWD) types, although the associated pathogenic mechanisms involved have not been extensively studied. Notably, in-frame CNV provides a unique opportunity to investigate how specific von Willebrand factor (VWF) domains influence the processing and packaging of the protein. Using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, this study determined the extent to which CNV contributed to VWD in the Molecular and Clinical Markers for the Diagnosis and Management of Type 1 von Willebrand Disease cohort, highlighting in-frame deletions of exons 3, 4-5, 32-34, and 33-34. Heterozygous in vitro recombinant VWF expression demonstrated that, although deletion of exons 3, 32-34, and 33-34 all resulted in significant reductions in total VWF (P < .0001, P < .001, and P < .01, respectively), only deletion of exons 3 and 32-34 had a significant impact on VWF secretion (P < .0001). High-resolution microscopy of heterozygous and homozygous deletions confirmed these observations, indicating that deletion of exons 3 and 32-34 severely impaired pseudo-Weibel-Palade body (WPB) formation, whereas deletion of exons 33-34 did not, with this variant still exhibiting pseudo-WPB formation similar to wild-type VWF. In-frame deletions in VWD, therefore, contribute to pathogenesis via moderate or severe defects in VWF biosynthesis and secretion.
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| 5. |
- Cartwright, Ashley, et al.
(författare)
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Characterization of large in-frame von Willebrand factor deletions highlights differing pathogenic mechanisms
- 2020
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Ingår i: Blood Advances. - : Elsevier BV. - 2473-9529 .- 2473-9537. ; 4:13, s. 2979-2990
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Copy number variation (CNV) is known to cause all von Willebrand disease (VWD) types, although the associated pathogenic mechanisms involved have not been extensively studied. Notably, in-frame CNV provides a unique opportunity to investigate how specific von Willebrand factor (VWF) domains influence the processing and packaging of the protein. Using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification, this study determined the extent to which CNV contributed to VWD in the Molecular and Clinical Markers for the Diagnosis and Management of Type 1 von Willebrand Disease cohort, highlighting in-frame deletions of exons 3, 4-5, 32-34, and 33-34. Heterozygous in vitro recombinant VWF expression demonstrated that, although deletion of exons 3, 32-34, and 33-34 all resulted in significant reductions in total VWF (P < .0001, P < .001, and P < .01, respectively), only deletion of exons 3 and 32-34 had a significant impact on VWF secretion (P < .0001). High-resolution microscopy of heterozygous and homozygous deletions confirmed these observations, indicating that deletion of exons 3 and 32-34 severely impaired pseudo-Weibel-Palade body (WPB) formation, whereas deletion of exons 33-34 did not, with this variant still exhibiting pseudo-WPB formation similar to wild-type VWF. In-frame deletions in VWD, therefore, contribute to pathogenesis via moderate or severe defects in VWF biosynthesis and secretion.
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| 6. |
- Estupinan, HY, et al.
(författare)
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Novel mouse model resistant to irreversible BTK inhibitors: a tool identifying new therapeutic targets and side effects
- 2020
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Ingår i: Blood advances. - : American Society of Hematology. - 2473-9537 .- 2473-9529. ; 4:11, s. 2439-2450
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Pharmacological inhibitors of Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) have revolutionized treatment of B-lymphocyte malignancies and show great promise for dampening autoimmunity. The predominant BTK inhibitors tether irreversibly by covalently binding to cysteine 481 in the BTK catalytic domain. Substitution of cysteine 481 for serine (C481S) is the most common mechanism for acquired drug resistance. We generated a novel C481S knock-in mouse model and, using a battery of tests, no overt B-lymphocyte phenotype was found. B lymphocytes from C481S animals were resistant to irreversible, but sensitive to reversible, BTK inhibitors. In contrast, irreversible inhibitors equally impaired T-lymphocyte activation in mice, mimicking the effect of treatment in patients. This demonstrates that T-lymphocyte blockage is independent of BTK. We suggest that the C481S knock-in mouse can serve as a useful tool for the study of BTK-independent effects of irreversible inhibitors, allowing for the identification of novel therapeutic targets and pinpointing potential side effects.
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| 7. |
- Farhadfar, Nosha, et al.
(författare)
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Weighty choices : selecting optimal G-CSF doses for stem cell mobilization to optimize yield
- 2020
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Ingår i: Blood Advances. - : AMER SOC HEMATOLOGY. - 2473-9529 .- 2473-9537. ; 4:4, s. 706-716
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- There are limited data on the effect of donor body mass index (BMI) on peripheral blood stem cell (PBSC) mobilization response to granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), especially in unrelated donors. Obesity has been associated with persistent leukocytosis, elevated circulating progenitor cells, and enhanced stem cell mobilization. Therefore, we hypothesized that adequate collection of CD34(+) cells may be achieved with lower doses (per kilogram of body weight) of G-CSF in donors with higher BMI compared with donors with lower BMI. Using the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research database, we evaluated the impact of donor BMI on G-CSF-mobilized PBSC yield in healthy unrelated donors. We examined 20 884 PBSC donations collected at National Marrow Donor Program centers between 2006 and 2016. We found significantly higher collection yields in obese and severely obese donors compared with normal and overweight donors. An increase in average daily G-CSF dose was associated with an increase in stem cell yield in donors with normal or overweight BMI. In contrast, an increase in average daily G-CSF dose beyond 780 mu g per day in obese and 900 mg per day in severely obese donors did not increase cell yield. Pain and toxicities were assessed at baseline, during G-CSF administration, and postcollection. Obesity was associated with higher levels of self-reported donation-related pain and toxicities in the pericollection and early postdonation recovery periods. This study suggests a maximum effective G-CSF dose for PBSC mobilization in obese and severely obese donors, beyond which higher doses of G-CSF add no increased yield.
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| 8. |
- Felber, M., et al.
(författare)
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Targeted busulfan-based reduced-intensity conditioning and HLA-matched HSCT cure hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis
- 2020
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Ingår i: Blood Advances. - : American Society of Hematology. - 2473-9529 .- 2473-9537. ; 4:9, s. 1998-2010
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reduced-intensity/reduced-toxicity conditioning and allogeneic T-cell replete hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are curative in patients with hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH). Unstable donor chimerism (DC) and relapses are clinical challenges. We examined the effect of a reduced-intensity conditioning regimen based on targeted busulfan to enhance myeloid DC in HLH. The European Society for Bone and Marrow Transplantation-approved reduced-intensity conditioning protocol comprised targeted submyeloablative IV busulfan, IV fludarabine, and serotherapy comprising IV alemtuzumab (0.5-0.8 mg/kg) for unrelated-donor and IV rabbit anti-T-cell globulin for related-donor transplants. We assessed toxicity, engraftment, graft-versus-host disease (GHVD), DC in blood cell subtypes, and overall survival/event-free survival. Twenty-five patients from 7 centers were treated (median age, 0.68 year). The median total dose and cumulative area under the curve of busulfan was 13.1 mg/kg (6.4-26.4) and 63.1 mg/L x h (48-77), respectively. Bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cell, or cord blood transplants from HLA-matched related (n = 7) or unrelated (n = 18) donors were administered. Donor cells engrafted in all patients (median: neutrophils d+20/platelets d128). At last follow-up (median, 36 months; range, 8-111 months), the median DC of CD151 neutrophils, CD3(+) T cells, and CD16(+)56(+) natural killer cells was 99.5% (10-100), 97% (30-100), and 97.5% (30-100), respectively. Eight patients (32%) developed sinusoidal obstruction syndrome, resolving after defibrotide treatment. The 3-year overall survival and event-free survival rates were both 100%. None of the patients developed acute grade III to IV GHVD. Limited chronic GVHD was encountered in 4%. This regimen achieves excellent results with stable DC in patients with HLH.
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| 9. |
- Foskolou, IP, et al.
(författare)
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The S enantiomer of 2-hydroxyglutarate increases central memory CD8 populations and improves CAR-T therapy outcome
- 2020
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Ingår i: Blood advances. - : American Society of Hematology. - 2473-9537 .- 2473-9529. ; 4:18, s. 4483-4493
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cancer immunotherapy is advancing rapidly and gene-modified T cells expressing chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) show particular promise. A challenge of CAR-T cell therapy is that the ex vivo–generated CAR-T cells become exhausted during expansion in culture, and do not persist when transferred back to patients. It has become clear that naive and memory CD8 T cells perform better than the total CD8 T-cell populations in CAR-T immunotherapy because of better expansion, antitumor activity, and persistence, which are necessary features for therapeutic success and prevention of disease relapse. However, memory CAR-T cells are rarely used in the clinic due to generation challenges. We previously reported that mouse CD8 T cells cultured with the S enantiomer of the immunometabolite 2-hydroxyglutarate (S-2HG) exhibit enhanced antitumor activity. Here, we show that clinical-grade human donor CAR-T cells can be generated from naive precursors after culture with S-2HG. S-2HG–treated CAR-T cells establish long-term memory cells in vivo and show superior antitumor responses when compared with CAR-T cells generated with standard clinical protocols. This study provides the basis for a phase 1 clinical trial evaluating the activity of S-2HG–treated CD19-CAR-T cells in patients with B-cell malignancies.
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| 10. |
- Gowin, Krisstina, et al.
(författare)
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Survival following allogeneic transplant in patients with myelofibrosis
- 2020
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Ingår i: Blood Advances. - : AMER SOC HEMATOLOGY. - 2473-9529 .- 2473-9537. ; 4:9, s. 1965-1973
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is the only curative therapy for myelofibrosis (MF). In this large multicenter retrospective study, overall survival (OS) in MF patients treated with allogeneic HCT (551 patients) and without HCT (non-HCT) (1377 patients) was analyzed with Cox proportional hazards model. Survival analysis stratified by the Dynamic International Prognostic Scoring System (DIPSS) revealed that the first year of treatment arm assignment, due to upfront risk of transplant-related mortality (TRM), HCT was associated with inferior OS compared with non-HCT (non-HCT vs HCT: DIPSS intermediate 1 [Int-1]: hazard ratio [HR] = 0.26, P < .0001; DIPSS-Int-2 and higher: HR, 0.39, P < .0001). Similarly, in the DIPSS low-risk MF group, due to upfront TRM risk, OS was superior with non-HCT therapies compared with HCT in the first-year post treatment arm assignment (HR, 0.16, P = .006). However, after 1 year, OS was not significantly different (HR, 1.38, P = .451). Beyond 1 year of treatment arm assignment, an OS advantage with HCT therapy in Int-1 and higher DIPSS score patients was observed (non-HCT vs HCT: DIPSS-Int-1: HR, 2.64, P < .0001; DIPSS-Int-2 and higher: HR, 2.55, P < .0001). In conclusion, long-term OS advantage with HCT was observed for patients with Int-1 or higher risk MF, but at the cost of early TRM. The magnitude of OS benefit with HCT increased as DIPSS risk score increased and became apparent with longer follow-up.
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